Doesn't Take Much to Mess Things Up
by Adiji-Sensei
Summary: Kurenai had the ideal life and was happy until Asuma tore her world apart.Thankfully, someone was there for her, and she found herself able love again.But will Asuma allow Kurenai to be happy? Or will he seek to destroy those closest to her? KxK NxH JxT
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything to do with it, as much as I would like to.

**A/N: The other Naruto fic I did has been abandoned because I completely lost touch with it, so that's why I have started with this one. I actually started it last year, but I never got around to completing it. One of my friends read what I had written and liked it so I thought I would give it a go and carry on. I am not going to reveal the pairings, as there will be more than one, but the main one will be put in the summary.**

**I also have FFVII fic as well, but that is on hold at the moment while I get back into the swing of writing as they have been my most successful stories. Rest assured, they will be updated eventually. Anyway, enough gassing, on with the first chapter. Please read and review as I like to have opinions so I know that it is worth carrying on.**

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**Doesn't Take Much to Make Things Go Wrong**

**Chapter 1: **Start the Lesson, the First Screw Up

The female jounin had not been this happy for a while. It had taken many years for the attraction to become known, but now things seemed to be kicking off. She was getting ready to go out on a date, and was stuck with what to wear. This was one fault that some women seemed to have: when getting ready to go out on a date, they had no idea what to wear. This was exactly why Kurenai had started getting ready a few hours before she was going to be picked up. Many a time she had rushed to dates because she was running late due to not being able to decide what to wear.

The ebony haired jounin continued to hunt through her wardrobe, and eventually settled on a long black dress. Nothing fancy, simple, but it showed off her curves in all the right ways. It was getting colder in Konoha as winter was approaching, so it would help to keep her warm in the bitter outdoors.

Now that the outfit was chosen, it was now time for the shower. Looking at the clock, Kurenai estimated she had about two hours to get showered, made up, and dressed before she was going to be picked up. The genjutsu expert couldn't wait and the butterflies were already setting up their home in her stomach. She had been out with the guy a few times now, but there were always butterflies whenever she knew that they were going out for the evening.

With a sigh, she laid out her outfit on the bed and closed the bathroom door with a sigh.

--

Asuma was bored, he was ready to go and collect Kurenai, but with his experience if women, he knew that she would not be ready yet. Looking up at the clock, he began to think about what he could do to kill the time. As long as he didn't go so far away that he was late to pick Kurenai up then everything would be ok. That was the only option Asuma had, go out for a walk.

_What the hell? The time isn't going to go any faster if I sit around doing nothing…_ he thought with a resigned sigh, and once he grabbed his jacket, he walked out into the cold night.

Once he got outside, there was a new problem, where was he going to go? He could always pop to Ichiraku's for a snack, as he was only going to the bar with Kurenai, so it would keep him going until they decided what to do after leaving the bar.

_Ichiraku's it is…_

However, when the jounin got there, he did not expect to see a depressed looking woman sitting in the middle of the stand. Seeing as he was bored, Asuma didn't think there was any harm in going over to talk to her, after all, it would eat into the time and give him something to do before he went to pick his girlfriend up. Slowly, he walked over, and he could tell that she knew that he was behind her, she would see his reflection in the soup base in her bowl.

"Hi, mind if I sit with you? I have some time to kill." He asked with an uncomfortable laugh. However, the blonde looked up and gave him a warm smile. The jounin's breath caught in his throat when he saw her. She was stunning, and he was not even going to try and look at her body. All thoughts of Kurenai went out of his head at that moment, though there was an annoying voice in his head that was warning him to get out of there and just go to Kurenai's early. He swiftly shut it up and concentrated on this woman.

"Sure, take a seat, I was going to be going after this bowl anyway." She said, and let out a sad sigh. Asuma didn't know if he should, but he wanted to try and find out why this woman was looking so upset.

"This may be forward, but can I ask what has made such a pretty young woman such as you upset? Oh, sorry, my name is Asuma, by the way." He said, placing a smile on his face. The woman seemed to hesitate at first, after all, she had just been approached by a complete stranger, but she had nobody else to talk to about it as her family had predicted her problem would come along sooner or later and she had not heeded their warnings. The blonde was not in the mood for hearing 'I told you so' from about six different directions.

"Pleased to meet you Asuma, I'm Junko, though my friends call me Jun, so you can address me by that if you wish. As to why I am feeling so upset, my fiancée left me today. We were meant to go out for tea and dango, but when I got to the shop, I was sitting there for two hours. I was about to go when one of his friends turned up and told me that he wasn't going to come. I asked him why, and all he said was that my fiancée wanted nothing to do with me anymore and that was that. I suppose I am better off without him anyway, seeing as how he didn't have the courage to come and tell me himself. Doesn't make it any easier though…" she said with a sad sigh, and finished off her ramen.

Asuma felt for Jun, he really did, and he was not sure what he should say to her story. Not everyone liked sympathy, and he did not want to upset her further.

"Say…why don't you come to the bar with me? It'll save you moping around town all by yourself." He offered, and was pleased when the blonde accepted. Asuma paid for the ramen and they walked off to the bar, arm in arm. Little did Asuma know that he had been spotted long ago.

_Asuma, what are you doing, baka?!_

--

It had been over an hour and a half since Asuma was supposed to turn up at Kurenai's house, and he was still not there, and she was beginning to get worried. Had something happened?

_Maybe he forgot to pick me up and is waiting for me at the bar…_

Kurenai grabbed her black coat from the chair and her purse, and then walked out of her house and set off after locking it. To get there faster, she decided to take the short cut across the training grounds. It was a good one to take when she was running late. However, as she was running so late, she did not notice the legs sticking out from under the tree, and it wasn't long before she ended up on her backside. Thankfully it had not rained for a while so there was no mud around. As she dusted her arms off, a gloved hand was offered to her, which she gladly took and allowed herself to be pulled up.

"You really shouldn't stick your legs out like that Kakashi." She said, and received a small laugh in return.

"You really shouldn't run through the training grounds in case you fall over someone's legs while they are trying to relax." He retorted, earning a laugh from Kurenai.

"OK, point taken. What are you doing out here anyway?" she asked, it wasn't often that she saw the Copy Nin at the training grounds this late.

"I thought I'd let the dogs out for a bit, they keep me company when I have nothing to do, you see. Sakura is always so busy at the hospital, Naruto is always…well…doing Naruto things and you know the deal with Sasuke. Anyway, what are you doing out here, and where are you off to in such a hurry?" Kakashi asked, and Kurenai sighed before explaining.

"I was meant to be going out with Asuma tonight. He was supposed to pick me up an hour and a half ago and…well…no Asuma, so I am going to the bar to see if he—Kakashi?" she was distracted by a puff of smoke, and noticed that the masked shinobi was nowhere to be seen.

_What the hell?_Kurenai thought as she continued her journey to the bar.

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**A/N: Well, that is all that is going in the first chapter XD What's going to happen, hm? Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the delay in an update, all those who are enjoying this, but I have been really busy as I am trying to get into a new college. I will try and make this one as good as possible, but PLEASE do review, as it helps give me the motivation to continue, as I do not like writing new chapters if I think that people are not enjoying it, which is what I automatically assume.

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Chapter 2: When Things Go From Bad to Worse

Asuma had been in the bar with Junko for a long while now, and because of the increasing amount of alcohol he was consuming he had now completely forgotten that he was supposed to be there with someone else. All he was concerned about now was just having a good time with the curvy beauty next to him. She had cheered up a lot now, and no longer seemed upset that her fiancée had left her.

_I really want to get to know this girl better…but I can't help but think I am meant to be doing something, oh well, I'll worry about that later…_

Asuma shook his head to get rid of the thoughts, ending up making himself dizzy while he was at it. The jounin would have fallen off of the stool if it was not for the hand that kept him upright. Turning his head slowly, Asuma's breath caught in his throat, but was relieved to see that it was only Kakashi.

"Oh, it's only you Kakashi…you know, I can't help but think I am forgetting something, do you know what it is?" he asked, surprisingly still quite coherent. The masked man stroked his covered chin with a glove, mock thinking.

"I'm pretty sure you were supposed to be bringing your girlfriend here tonight, but I may be mistaken." Kakashi said, and Junko did not look so pretty anymore. She was annoyed, extremely annoyed.

"You know Asuma, I had grown to like you. Now I can see what you are really like, you're just like all the other men in my life! Well, I am not going to let you lead me into a false sense of security and throw me to the curb like an old rag. I feel sorry for your girlfriend, she may not know what you are really like, but I sure as hell hope she finds out before she gets too badly hurt!" Junko shouted to him and then left the bar, tears threatening to spill. Kakashi and Asuma were left watching her walk away.

"I'm guessing you hadn't told her…"

--

Kurenai was confused as to why Kakashi had rushed off so quickly, but she wasn't about to probe. Kakashi wasn't exactly the 'opening up' type, so she knew that it would be pointless to ask. Still, it had been strange, and there had been no sign of Asuma. Thinking it would be the best thing to do, the female jounin decided to make her way over to the bar, not knowing the shock she would get when she arrived.

--

Asuma had been silently seething for a few minutes now, and Kakashi had not said anything either, not knowing what was going through the other man's mind. Still, they could not sit in silence forever, so the masked jounin decided to break it.

"So, is Kurenai meeting you here or are you going to make your way to her house?" he asked calmly, pulling out his trademark orange book. The reading was interrupted by the shattering of glass, and when the silver haired nin looked up, Asuma was fuming.

"Do you have ANY idea what you have just done, Hatake?" he snarled, standing up and getting in his friend's face.

"Stopped you from making the biggest mistake of your life, that's what. What the hell were you planning on doing with that woman? Have you forgotten about Kurenai? Honestly, what the hell did you—HEY!" Kakashi shouted as he narrowly dodged a punch. The bartender thought this would be a good opportunity to step in, before other customers started getting disturbed.

"If you are going to fight, get out of the bar." He told the two shinobi, and just as Asuma was going to start lashing out at him, Kakashi grabbed the angry nin by the collar and dragged him out of the building. Was this what Asuma got like when he had too much to drink? Well, the Copy Nin would just have to sober him up.

"Get a hold of yourself, Sarutobi! Go and find Kurenai and if you are lucky then she will not find out. I have half a mind to go and tell her myself! If this is what booze does to you then maybe you should stay away from it." Kakashi told him harshly, and this time Asuma's punch did find it's target.

"What do you know? If you tell her, I will kill you Hatake, and you better fucking believe it!" he said, and before he could throw another punch, Kakashi had summoned his nin dogs and they were holding the irate jounin in place.

"I suggest you calm down, Asuma, it could cause trouble for you and those around you." He snarled. The Third's son was being way out of order, and Kakashi was annoyed at what he had been doing with Junko. He was supposed to meet Kurenai, and instead goes off with another woman and tries to hit on her instead.

"That a threat?"

"Might be."

--

Kurenai could now see the bar, and she was pleased about that. She was sure that Asuma would meet her in there and apologise for not coming to her house. It was not uncommon to forget things, so Kurenai couldn't be too mad at him, she was sure that the rest of the date would go smoothly. However, she did not expect to come around the corner and see Kakashi holding Asuma in place with his nin dogs. Quickly, she ran over to find out what was going on.

--

"Kakashi, what are you doing? What is going on here?" Kakashi turned to look at the woman who was now standing next to him, looking incredibly distressed and confused.

"Ask Asuma, he got himself into this mess. I'm sure he is desperate to tell you." The angry nin said, and looked back at Asuma.

"I have nothing to tell, and you know it! Please believe me Kurenai." Asuma pleaded, and watched as Kakashi lifted his headband up, revealing the spinning red Sharingan.

"Sure you don't want to tell her?" he said as he began making hand signs. He had no intention of killing Asuma, just to scare him into admitting what he had been doing with Junko.

"Kakashi, you crazy bastard, I have nothing to tell her!" Honestly, you have to believe me!"

That didn't work either, and soon there was lightening crackling out from the masked man's hand. It was not as strong as it could be, but Kakashi was not going to allow one of his friends to be hurt, Kurenai did not deserve the treatment she was getting. The woman in question did not like where this was going, and also, she could not believe that Asuma was just letting this happen to him. To be fair though, the dogs were quite strong. She remembered being told about the fight at the bridge in the Wave country, they had held Zabuza in place well enough, and he was also jounin level.

"Kakashi, stop this! What is going on? Tell me now!" she screamed, even more confused than before, and now frightened. She was only calmed momentarily by Asuma's eyes on her.

"Fine, I admit it, I am sorry Kurenai, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." He said, and watched as Chidori began to fade away. The dogs remained where they were, however, Kakashi had no intention of releasing him until the other jounin had confessed to what he had been doing.

"What do you mean Asuma? What have you done?" Kurenai said, and watched as Asuma took a deep breath and looked deep into her crimson eyes.

"I did not come to your house for one reason. I was here with another woman. I was going to be early to your house, so I thought I would go for a walk. I got caught up with her, and well, it led to here. I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean for it to—" Asuma stopped as he saw the tears welling up in the woman's eyes.

"How could you?! I really thought we could have a good life together, now I see I was wrong. Stay away from me, Asuma, I don't want to speak with you for a very long time." She said and ran off, she did not want to start crying in front of the two men.

"KURENAI!" Kakashi called out and turned back to the captive jounin.

"Hope you are pleased with yourself, Sarutobi. You lost a good woman there." He snarled, and after dispelling the dogs, ran off after the crying woman.

_What have I done?_ Those were Asuma's thoughts as he watched the pair run off.

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A/N: Sorry it took such a long time, I have been really busy recently, but I plan to do a lot more writing. Anyway, please review, and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own my character Junko.

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews you sent me, now that I know people like this I am happy to continue, but that doesn't mean that you can stop reviewing, I still need more lol! It gives me the inspiration to write, as I know that it is not for nothing. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and once again, please read and review!

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Chapter 3: A Shoulder to Cry On

She continued to run as the tears continued to fall, what had she done wrong to end up in this situation? She did not know where she was running to, Kurenai was just going wherever her feet took her. The state she was in though, made sure that she did not care where she ended up or what became of her. Her makeup was smudged, she looked a mess. Kurenai could hear footsteps behind her and she knew it was Kakashi following her. He may be quiet, and not willing to reveal much about himself, but he was a good friend to Kurenai.

Eventually she ended up at the training grounds, and stopped to lean against a large tree. She could run no longer, Kurenai took her shoes off and sat down on the ground. What had she done to deserve this? Had she upset someone? Why was this happening to her? All of the questions going around in her mind made her sob harder, she didn't know where to go or what to do. The crimson eyed beauty had really thought that her and Asuma could make a relationship work, but now she could see that she had been wrong.

Her silent musing and crying was stopped when a shadow fell over her. She looked up and saw Kakashi, looking down on her with a sympathetic look in his one visible eye, the Sharingan long covered up.

"Mind if I sit with you?" he asked, and when Kurenai shook her head, signalling she didn't mind, he took a seat. She looked a mess, hair everywhere, crimson eyes glistening with unshed tears, almost making her eyes look like pools of blood that were shimmering in the sun, and her makeup was smudged, eyeliner having run down her cheeks in tear streaks. He wanted to wipe them away, but that would be so out of character of him he wasn't sure he wanted to, and he didn't want to give the female jounin the wrong idea. The silver haired nin was snapped out of his thoughts by the woman's voice, raspy from where she had been crying.

"Sorry, I must look a mess." She said as she began to wipe the tear streaks away. She hated herself for appearing so weak, but there was nothing she could do, her emotions just took over. She could not believe what Asuma had done, but she knew that she had to try and forget, as she needed to move on.

"Come on, I'll take you home." Kakashi said and stood up, offering a hand for the woman to grab. She gave her friend a soft smile and took the gloved hand, and allowed herself to be pulled up. She could not be bothered to put her shoes back on, there wasn't a lot of nasty things she could tread on in the street.

Nothing else was said between the pair as they made their way to Kurenai's home.

--

Asuma was livid, not only with himself but with everyone else. Junko, Kakashi, Kurenai, everyone. He had lost control, that was all, and how dare Kakashi make that comment about Asuma and alcohol. He decided it would be best to go to Kurenai's house and try and talk to her, but that would have to wait, he had to get home and have a shower. The man was also feeling quite sore because of the bite marks the dogs had left, but they weren't bleeding too much, which was good.

As he made his way home, the quick way through the trees, he knew he needed rest and lots of it, tomorrow he had to confront Kurenai, and he wanted to be physically and mentally prepared.

He could afford no mistakes. However, he did not expect to catch a glimpse of her walking home with Kakashi. Damn him for getting in the way, damn him for summoning the dogs…damn him to hell. It had been a long time since Asuma had been so annoyed, and now Kurenai was mad with him, heck, would she even forgive him? Asuma doubted it, and if she didn't, then Kakashi was going to pay, and he was going to pay big time.

--

Kurenai unlocked the door and walked in, switching the lights on. She was pleased to get home, unfortunately she was reminded of how empty it was. Still, she was glad she would have company, at least for a little while…she hoped. She was stopped from going further into her home by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Kakashi had come in after her, and deep down she wanted him to stay, she did not want to be alone right now. That was the last thing she wanted, she felt lonely enough as it was.

"Will you be ok, Kurenai? I should probably go now." The Copy Nin said, and Kurenai lowered her head, she had feared that Kakashi would say that. She didn't want to be left, she wanted company. She could feel the tears coming, why was she being so weak? How long had she lived alone now? The woman hated herself right now, despised herself for being so weak. She looked up at Kakashi, tears threatening to spill.

"Please, stay a while. Have a drink with me, I…I don't want to be alone right now." She said, and heard the man let out a sigh.

"Alright…I can't stay too late though...I have got to leave on a mission tomorrow morning." He said, and walked further into the apartment. In a way, Kakashi felt nervous about staying, he was not very good at the comfort side of things, he had never really had to do it before, and the jounin really did not want to do the wrong thing, and feared he would make the situation worse. However, his answer seemed to be good enough for Kurenai. He just hoped she would be ok while he was gone.

_What is wrong with me? She is more than capable of handling herself, she is just in a fragile situation right now. She will be fine, I don't need to worry, besides, she has plenty of other friends here who will look out for her._

When Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts he found himself in the kitchen, and found himself wondering when he had arrived in there.

_That will teach me not to daydream._

Kurenai got two cups out of the cupboard, along with a teapot. A cup of green tea would do them both good.

"You must have wasted a lot of chakra after deciding to use Chidori, do you want to rest here for a while?" she asked, beginning to prepare the tea. Kakashi let out a nervous laugh, he was feeling quite tired, but it wasn't just because of the jutsu, he'd had a busy day.

"Thanks Kurenai, but I'll be ok. As long as I get a good night's sleep I'll be fine." He said, and silence fell between the pair again, neither one of the jounin wanting to break it. It was not an uncomfortable silence, but it was soon shattered by the sound of rain pounding the roof. Kurenai finished preparing the tea, and left it to cool a while, as she had filled up the cups too high and it would be hard to drink as the rim would be hot.

"You know, thanks for tonight Kakashi. I just feel bad you had to waste so much energy, just for me, and get the dogs out. Are you sure you—" Kurenai got cut off by her friend holding up a hand, silencing her.

"It's fine, really. I was not going to let him get away with what he had done, Asuma had no right to treat you the way he did, so don't worry about it." Kakashi told her, and was pleased to see Kurenai give a warm and genuine smile. That was the first time he had seen the woman at least look happy since he had found her.

The female jounin still felt bad, but Kakashi had said it was not a problem so she was not going to pursue it further. She had so much to talk about, but was Kakashi the right one to talk to? She wouldn't know until she asked, so that would be the best thing to do, ask.

"Say, Kakashi, can we talk? I guess…well…I guess I just need someone to talk to." She said, picking up the cups of tea and walking into the living room. Even though there was not much to see, she did not want to read the expression on her fellow shinobi's face, well, what she could see, which was…well…an eye. All Kakashi did was follow, not quite sure of what to do. Well, if he was going to have a cup of tea with her, he should really listen.

"Well…ok…though I am not too good at offering a shoulder to cry on." He told her, thinking honesty would be the best policy in this case. Kurenai smiled once again, showing that it would not be a problem. The pair sat down together, and a long silence fell, one waiting to listen, and one waiting to think of what to say.

_How the hell am I going to start this? I shouldn't take too long, Kakashi has a mission in the morning, and needs to rest. Hold on, Kurenai, you're a genius! Ask him how long he will be away for, and what rank it is!_

"So, how long are you going to be away for? Is it a high ranked mission?" she asked, taking a sip of tea. She noticed Kakashi's was half gone already, how the hell did he drink so fast?

"I'll be away for a week, an A rank. I have to gather recon on a group of Rain jounin, for some reason it is thought they may be a threat. Come on Kurenai, I know this isn't what you want to talk about." Kakashi told her gently, and watched as the woman sighed, she should have known that small talk would not work. She knew she would have to get straight to the point now, though she was pleased she knew how long he would be away for.

"It's just…I feel so lonely. I really thought Asuma and I would be able to have a good relationship. I didn't think it could all go horribly wrong. It's just…oh I don't know how to put this." She said, and everything fell into silence. Kurenai was lost for words and Kakashi didn't know what to say. Time wore on, as they both finished their tea in silence. The woman could not find the words she wanted to say, she had never spoken with the silver haired nin this way before, and in a way, it scared her. She was scared of saying the wrong thing. Time wore on, and it was midnight by the time Kakashi realised he needed to go. He stood up and stretched, stiff from staying in one place for so long.

"Thanks for the tea, Kurenai, but I'm afraid I have to go." He told her, stretching one more time. Kurenai stood up on impulse and wrapped her arms around Kakashi, tears threatening to spill again. He stiffened against her body, not used to such contact, and slowly wrapped his arms around the distraught woman.

"Please…don't go…stay the night, please…" she almost begged, sick of being alone. After what had happened, she did not want to be alone that night, she needed company. Kakashi wasn't sure, and began to try and think of any excuse possible, but somehow, the nin couldn't bring himself to do so. He couldn't use something like 'the cat needs feeding', he couldn't leave Kurenai in this state. Anyway, she knew he didn't have a cat, he hated cats, he was more of a dog person.

"Kurenai, I should really go…anyway, there's nowhere for me to slee—" Kakashi was cut off when Kurenai looked up at him, tears slowly spilling.

"Stay with me, please. I won't look at your face in the morning, I swear, just please! I can't be alone, Kakashi! I promise, I won't look at you, just please stay! I need the company, I can't be alone, I won't look…I honestly won't look! Just please, stay! Please!" she begged, tears coming freely now, and she began to cry into the jounin's chest.

_I can't leave her like this, no way, hell, she won't let me leave her like this. Guess I'll have to stay, good job I locked up the apartment and turned everything off really. _

"Kurenai, I'm more worried about you than whether you catch a glimpse of my face or not. Of course I would rather you didn't, but don't bother worrying. I want to make sure you are ok. I will stay tonight, but I will have to leave early in the morning, ok?" he told her, and felt Kurenai nod against his chest. Now that was settled, he could focus on getting her to bed and calming her down. After a while she released him from her hold, and looked up, tears streaking her face once again.

"Thank you." She said and began to lead him off to the bedroom. Little did she know that there was someone watching from outside the window.

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A/N: There is another chapter for you guys! There should be another quick update as I have half of the next chapter planned, but if I start that I will end up awake all night lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I only own my character Junko, though she will probably not be in this story again, haven't decided yet.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews I have received, you guys are awesome! I am really on a roll with this story so hopefully the updates will be quick. I also have Final Fantasy 7 stories, and they will be updated, but I am currently on a block with those at the moment. Anyway, on with this story, please read and review!

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Chapter 4: When Things Go From Bad to Worse

_That bitch, how dare she?! She runs off crying like that, and then gets Kakashi to go to bed with her. That damn Copy Nin, he will pay for that!_

Those were the thoughts that were running around in Asuma's head. He had decided to skip the shower in the end and go straight to Kurenai's, but had stopped in his tracks when he saw Kakashi go in with her. What the hell was he doing there? Had she invited him? Was she using the jounin to get back at Asuma? The Third's son was going nuts, he wanted to go and talk to the woman and she decides to invite Kakashi in to do who knew what?!

Asuma had gone around to look through the window and was even more irritated when he saw Kurenai lead Kakashi into the bedroom, so it was going to be like that was it? He did not even stay there to see if his assumptions were correct, Asuma did not want to take the risk. Oh how he was furious right now. Currently he was perched on a thick branch outside of the woman's home, out of sight, when something caught his eye. Kakashi was leaving, that was good. That was a very good thing indeed, now he could interrogate the crimson eyed woman without any interruptions. Asuma wanted to know what happened the previous night, how dare she do that to him, when all he had done was make a simple mistake.

Making sure that Kakashi was far enough away to not notice the other jounin's presence, Asuma hopped down from the tree and began to think about what he should say to Kurenai. Should he be calm, or just express his anger? It was a tough one, but still, he walked over to the house and knocked on the door sharply. Either way, the angry jounin was going to get answers, by whatever means necessary.

--

Kurenai was calmly making the bed when she heard hard knocking at her door. Who could that be at this time of the morning? Had Kakashi forgotten something? She could not see anything of his in the room, but she would find out when she went to get the door.

"Coming!" she called out, and made her way to the door quickly. However, her face fell into a frown when she saw Asuma at the door.

"Well, what can I do for you then?" she snarled, and was confused as to why there was anger in the man's eyes. If anyone had the right to be angry, it was her.

"Have fun with Kakashi last night?" he said to her, voice even, and shoved his way past the woman and into the house.

Kurenai was confused, how did Asuma know that Kakashi had come home with her last night? Had he been spying? The woman regained her composure and walked over to the man who had invaded her home, and gave him a hard slap.

"How dare you barge into my home and make those accusations! Nothing happened between me and Kakashi last night, at least not along the lines you may be thinking of! He was there for me when I needed him, a shoulder to cry on, there to support me after your little antics last night! Kakashi is there for his friends, he may not always seem the most comforting individual, but he made me feel so much better after you made me feel like dirt!" she shouted, getting ready to slap Asuma again, but he was too quick for her and grabbed her wrist hard, almost breaking it.

"So why did you two go into the bedroom then? Trying to use him to get even, huh?!" Asuma shouted, not caring that the woman was squirming in pain.

"No, I wanted him to stay, I needed someone last night, and I had no intention of sleeping with him in that way, thank you very much. Kakashi wouldn't take advantage of me in the state I was in anyway, do you know why?!" she shouted, and Asuma put on an expression of fake thought.

"No, do enlighten me."

Kurenai's face twisted into a snarl and her eyes filled with rage. She got up on her toes and placed her face in front of Asuma's, noses nearly touching.

"It is because Kakashi is more of a man than you will ever be."

That did it, something inside of the male jounin just snapped, and he didn't just slap her, he punched her. The poor woman was caught completely off guard and there was nothing that she could do to stop the outraged man's attacks. She was helpless, and it was not a position she liked to be in. By the time Asuma was done she had blood pouring from her nose and coming out of her mouth, and she lay in an unconscious heap on the floor. A loud knocking on the door caused Asuma to flee out of a nearby window.

--

Hinata did not have anything to do that day. She had finally lost her stutter and was becoming more confident with herself each day. She had her friends behind her, and with help from Ino and Sakura, she had turned into a fine and confident person. She walked up to her sensei's house and knocked on the door, but she became worried when there was no answer.

_That's odd…Kurenai-sensei didn't say that she was going out…_

Hinata continued to bang on the door, and got a shock when she leaned against it. Now that wasn't right, Kurenai never left the door ajar like that. Something didn't seem right, and the Hyuuga heiress pulled out a kunai, just to be safe. There could be something bad in there, and she did not want to be caught off guard. She would be no use to her sensei if she ended up in trouble as well.

Slowly, she walked into the living room, keeping an eye out, and stood there in shock when she saw her sensei in a crumpled, bloody heap on the floor.

"Kurenai-sensei!" she shouted as she rushed over. She was pleased to discover that the crimson eyed woman was only unconscious. She had to go and get Sakura, and quickly.

_I'll be back soon, Kurenai-sensei, I promise!_

_--_

Sakura was doing extra shifts at the hospital, there was a nice set of kunai that she had her eye on. The pink haired nin did not go out on many missions anymore, as she was needed at the hospital a lot of the time, so money was sometimes short and she was not able to treat herself as often as she would like to.

It had been a fairly quiet day at the hospital, the most exciting thing to happen was Rock Lee coming in with a dislocated shoulder. Sparring with his sensei, Gai, had got a little out of hand, and Lee ended up injured, but it was nothing that Sakura could not sort out. A loud call of her name got her to look up from the paperwork she was doing in confusion. She saw Hinata run up to the desk, tears threatening to spill.

"Sakura, Kurenai-sensei needs your help, she's been attacked!" Was all Hinata said before she began to run out of the hospital again, leaving Sakura no choice but to follow.

She did not understand who would do this to Kurenai? Was there a traitor in the village? It could not have been bandits, Kurenai was a jounin, she would be able to handle them easily. Would it have to be reported to the Hokage? Sakura was at a loss for what to do, but she knew that before anything else was done, Kurenai needed to be examined, and brought to the hospital if treatment was needed there.

--

Kurenai was just regaining consciousness when she heard someone come into her home. She was immediately overcome with fear. It took her a while for her eyes to focus, and soon she saw that it was Hinata and Sakura, and relaxed a little. The pink haired girl came running over, immediately tending to the cuts and bruises. Hospital treatment would be needed to make sure there was no internal damage.

"Kurenai-sensei, we need to get you to a hospital, we need to check there is no internal damage. Who did this to you?!" Sakura exclaimed as she helped the injured jounin to her feet. Sakura decided that her and Hinata should support the woman on the way to the hospital.

"I'd rather not say…"

--

_Why did I do that? What was I thinking? How could I do that to her? I hope she's alright, should I go and make sure? No, I can't…she'll point me out!_

These were the rushed thoughts going through Asuma's mind. He had got himself into one hell of a mess. He wanted to go and see Kurenai, but he was not sure it was such a good idea, maybe he could go and see her when she felt better? Hell, he didn't know whether she was in the hospital or at home, but he didn't want to cause a scene in either place. Would she even want to see him again

"Another shot please, double." Asuma said, he had thought it would be a good idea to drink until he forgot what happened.

_What has become of me?_

_--_

Kurenai had passed out as soon as she was put down on the hospital bed, she was tired, and now she felt that she was truly safe. She did not want Asuma anywhere near her, and she didn't want to say anything either. The poor woman was terrified. As soon as she awoke she saw Tsunade, probably thought it was an enemy attack or somewhere along those lines.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, and Kurenai sighed as she ran a hand over her face.

_I must look a mess._

"Better, thank you, Hokage-sama." She said, and Tsunade smiled, pleased to hear the woman felt like she was on the mend.

"Who did this to you?" the blonde said bluntly, getting straight to the point. This was a serious matter, and it had to be dealt with quickly.

"Please, I don't want to talk about it right now. It wasn't an enemy attack, so you don't need to worry. Please, Hokage-sama, I would like to rest." She said, and watched as the blonde nodded and walked out of the room. It seemed that she was not ready to talk yet. As soon as Tsunade left the room, Kurenai relaxed and closed her eyes.

_Come back soon, and safely…I need you…_

_--_

A/N: This chapter was getting long, so I have split it into two, though the rest will still be chapter 5. The plot is thickening now, this could be a long one. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own my character Junko.

A/N: Thanks again for all of my reviews, I am really happy you guys are enjoying this. I am thinking about the ending already, it would be so easy to make everything descend into chaos, but I am not sure I will do that. This chapter turned out longer than intended, but oh well lol! Hope you enjoy! Anyway, this is another chapter for everyone, so once again, please read and review!

--

Chapter 5: Karma Can Be a Double-Edged Sword

Tsunade was not a very happy Hokage, she wanted to know what was wrong with Kurenai, yet she could do nothing if the woman would not speak about who had attacked her. The blonde Hokage was pleased that it was not enemy ninja, that would be a problem, but she knew that Kurenai would have said if that was the case, she would not think of hiding something so important.

With that thought left in mind, Tsunade poured herself another cup of sake. She was a jounin down now, and the mission requests were coming in fast. It was a good job that the next chuunin exams were coming up soon, and once again it was Konoha's turn to host them. She wanted to find out what was going on, but there was nothing she could do.

_I need to stop worrying until I have a clue on what happened, something is keeping her quiet…and I intend to find out what._

Kurenai was looking out of the window, wishing she could be out there in the sun. Sakura watched the crimson eyed woman stare off into space as she changed the bandages on the jounin's broken wrist. The silence was killing her, she did not like seeing Kurenai so quiet and, well, almost vulnerable. It was so unlike her. Sakura had to break the silence, she could not take it any longer.

"Kurenai-sensei, I hope I am not being out of line, but who did this to you?" she asked, and waited and listened as Kurenai turned her tired eyes onto the pink haired girl.

"I don't want to talk about it. Anyway, let's change the subject, when is Kakashi back?" Kurenai asked, and Sakura went into deep thought. The emerald eyed girl perked up as she remembered.

"He should be back in a few hours, why?" she asked, and Kurenai let out another sigh.

"Please tell him I'm here. Thanks for sorting my arm, Sakura. Could I be alone please, I would like to rest." She said, giving the medic nin a warm smile. Sakura nodded and smiled in return before walking out of the room.

--

The mission had not gone to plan, very not to plan. Every bit of the jounin ached, he was covered in a number of scratches, and on the verge of passing out. One of the enemy nin had spotted him and it turned into a 6 Rain vs 1 Konoha battle. Kakashi felt that the sooner he got into a warm bath, followed by a warm bed, the better. What the nin did not expect to see was one of his former students waiting for him at the gate, looking very worried.

"Kakashi-sensei! You look terrible…" she said as she rushed over to give her former teacher a shoulder to lean on. Kakashi let out a pained laugh and let Sakura take a small amount of his weight.

"Mission went a little wrong, I'll be ok. Didn't think you would be here…aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" he asked. Sakura let out a small laugh, she did have such a thing as a break, but she knew her former sensei had an excuse, he probably wanted to just fall to the ground and sleep for a week.

"I'm on break, and anyway, I need to tell you something. Kurenai-sensei wants to speak to you, I don't know how important it is, but I was asked to pass on the message to you." She said, and heard Kakashi sigh. Maybe he knew something that they don't, but trying to get someone out of him was like trying to squeeze fresh orange juice out of a pebble.

"I'll head over there soon, I need to get back home. Thanks for the shoulder, Sakura, but I need to go." He said, and disappeared into a puff of smoke.

_What do you know, Kakashi-sensei?_

_--_

_I need to talk to her, I need to apologise. What came over me? What should I do? Why did I have to lose control? I know, I'll get her some flowers!_

These were the most rational thoughts that Asuma had go through his mind in the past hour. He had been back in the bar again, which concerned many of his friends. They all thought he was becoming an alcoholic, but he would not let them voice there concerns. He was becoming a distant character, scared of what he was becoming and trying to put everything right, but only succeeding in causing others to keep away from him.

The man downed his last shot, and went off to the Yamanaka flower shop, in a very tipsy state.

Not that he cared, there was little that the man cared about nowadays.

Ino was cutting some flowers to put into a wedding bouquet when she heard the door slam open, if it had been slammed any harder then the glass in the door would have been broken. Fear welled up inside her chest, as she did not see anything because she was in another room, and the blonde considered taking a kunai.

Taking out her makeup mirror and looked around the corner with it, and relaxed when she saw that it was only Asuma. Calming herself, she put her mirror away and walked out to the counter, wondering what her former sensei wanted.

"Hi Asuma-sensei, what can I do for you?" she asked, and bit back a shocked gasp as the man fell onto the counter. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and wondered what he had been doing in the bar so early, it was only lunchtime, and he was normally training at that hour.

"I…I n-n-need…what wash it…FLOWERS! I n-n-need them for…K-Kurenai…got any?!" he slurred, in danger of losing his balance and falling over. Ino was not sure what to do, she had never seen Asuma in this condition before.

"Well…yes, I do, Asuma-sensei…should you really go and see Kurenai-sensei in this state?" she said, keeping careful distance, and could not hold back the yelp as Asuma slammed his hand on the desk.

"Red roses…please…NOW!" he said to the startled girl and slammed some money down onto the counter.

"Y-yes sensei…" she said and rushed to get his order. Within minutes it was done and all wrapped up, and she watched as Asuma stumbled out of the shop and back onto the streets. That was not the Asuma she knew, and it scared her.

Ino's mother came into the main part of the shop, startled as to what had taken place.

"Who was that?! What happened? Are you ok?" she asked, and was only silenced when Ino held up a hand.

"It was only Asuma-sensei, something is not right with him, I think I'll avoid him for a while." She said, and went into the back room again, continuing with the bouquet work.

--

The hospital was now in sight, though occasionally another one popped up into the jounin's vision. Asuma shook his head to get rid of it and headed towards the real one. Sakura was on reception when he walked in, as the hospital was quite empty that day. He slumped over the counter, which gave the pink haired medic nin cause for concern, but in her experience of dealing with drunks, she did not want to bite off more than she could chew.

"Can I help you, Asuma-sensei?" she said, trying to remain calm and collected. She could smell the sake on his breath, and it was making her feel sick.

"Kurenai…where is she?!" he said, but the pink haired girl did not think it would be wise to argue right now, but then again, she could not let a drunk ninja loose in the hospital.

"Sorry, Asuma-sensei, but I think you need to sober up before going to see Kurenai." She said, and looked on in shock as Asuma swore and went to look for the woman himself. Sakura went straight to the Hokage, this had to be reported.

--

She wanted to get out of there, she was so bored, and the woman was going stir crazy. Kurenai felt so much better now, and felt that she was ready to go home, but the medics did not agree. So she was still stuck in bed, and just as she was about to daydream, a loud crash snapped her back to reality. She hoped it was Kakashi stumbling in, but she was greatly mistaken as the fear welled up inside her.

"Get out!" she shouted, but the man just stalked closer to her.

"K-Kurenai…I got…urgh…what did I get?" he stuttered, but Kurenai was having none of it.

"Get out, you stupid drunk! You are the last person I want to see!" she shouted, curling up into a ball, wanting to make herself as small as possible.

Asuma changed drastically then. Did she not understand that she was the reason he was in this state in the first place? This made him angry, and he stalked ever closer to the bed of the injured woman.

"Ungrateful bitch…I…I love you…s-s-s-stupid bitch…t-this is your fault! Bitch!" he shouted and raised a hand to strike, but was stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist.

"I believe she asked you to leave…" a voice whispered to him darkly.

--

Kakashi had never gone home, he was too concerned about Kurenai. She was in the hospital? That was not good, what had happened? He didn't want to suspect Asuma, but the thought kept popping up throughout his journey, and would not cease, so he decided to go straight there. The shinobi's wounds had not healed properly, and had decided to get them looked at as soon as he knew that Kurenai was ok.

What the jounin had not expected was to walk into the hospital room and see Asuma raising a hand to the woman. By now he had stopped it, which was good, how low would this man sink?

"I would not do that if I were you. Surely you do not want to end up in here as well?" Kakashi told him, and it did not take Asuma long to get out of the grip of the silver haired ninja. He was drunk, but not unable to move.

"You just can't keep out of this, can you, Copy Nin? Why don't you run along to your precious dogs and porn and stay out of the way?" he snarled, getting his blades out. Kakashi saw this and readied a kunai, it seemed that a fight was inevitable.

"Bring it on, Sarutobi."

"Gladly, Hatake."

--

A.N: I am going to be really mean…and leave it there XD I was debating on including the fight, but decided to save that for the next chapter! You will enjoy it much more if I make you wait lol. Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto, but I do still own my character Junko.

A/N: IMPORTANT! THIS FIC IS NOWHERE NEAR THE END! I thought I would clear that up, seeing as there has been a bit of a misunderstanding. I always think about the ending in advance, that's just the way I am, but this fic still has a long way to go, I assure you! This chapter won't have a HUGE fight, but there will be more fights throughout the fic, so don't be too disappointed!

Thanks again for the reviews, I really appreciate the feedback! Once again, please read and review!

--

Chapter 6: When Friends Become Enemies

The air had grown tense, if she could move then she would have done, but Kurenai had no option but to stay put. A fight was inevitable, they had challenged each other, she just hoped that neither one got too hurt.

_Please, be careful, both of you…_

Then the voice of reason came in, why did she care about what happened to Asuma? He had hurt her badly, and it now looked like he would properly pay the price. She was more concerned about Kakashi, who did not look like his health was brilliant, judging by the bloodstains on his uniform…the woman doubted that it was just the blood of his enemies. In a way, she did not want too much harm to come to Asuma, she wanted to rip out a few chunks of him when she was better as well. Kurenai couldn't allow Kakashi to have all the fun.

It was hurting her that she had to sit back and watch them beat each other up, but she knew that it would mean she had to stay in hospital longer if she got caught in the crossfire.

All she could do was wait.

--

Kakashi stood, kunai at the ready, stance making him look like he was ready to spring into battle. Asuma had readied his own blades, and the chakra moved around them, ready to cut their target. Blood would be spilled, there was no doubt about that. It would be messy, very messy, but no death, neither wanted to be named a traitor. No matter how much the silver haired nin wanted to kill the man in front of him, he would not be able to. Deep down, Asuma was still a friend, a friend that had gone off the rails, and who needed help, though he could not see it. If Asuma needed to fight to understand it, then that would have to be done, and Kakashi was more than happy to accept the offer to fight him himself.

"You've gone too far Asuma, you need help, if I need to injure you to make you see, then so be it." The Copy Nin said as he lifted up his hitae-ate to reveal the Sharingan, ready for action. Asuma was a fellow jounin, and just because there was a large amount of alcohol in the man's blood didn't mean that he should be underestimated. The case of Rock Lee after drinking sake was a classic example.

"The time for talk is over, Kakashi, you're going to die here!" Asuma shouted, his rage being fuelled by the alcohol in his system. The Third's son had never been a good drunk, he was always up for a fight after too much sake, and only got angry if he was refused one. He was angry already, and blamed Kurenai for everything, and now he wanted to get past Kakashi, who was nothing but an annoyance to him right now, and get his revenge on the woman he loved.

The words Asuma had just spoken were enough to tell Kakashi that he needed to make his move. His old friend was serious, and clearly did not remember the consequences if he succeeded in killing the silver haired nin. That wouldn't happen, Kakashi was determined to keep his wits about him. Lunging forward with the kunai, Kakashi went straight for Asuma's shoulder and was not surprised that the shot was blocked. It was never going to be an easy fight, but it seemed that Asuma was sobering up by the minute, and that would make the other jounin's job a lot harder.

_This isn't going to be easy, but I can't let him hurt Kurenai! _

The thoughts of what could happen to the female jounin kept Kakashi focused on the task in hand, he could not give up now, not when Asuma was so much of a threat. Unfortunately, as he was so lost in his thoughts, Kakashi had allowed himself to get distracted, which allowed Asuma to land a punch onto one of the wounds he received on the mission. It reopened, and a fresh bloodstain appeared on the jounin's vest. Asuma let out a cruel laugh, he seemed like an entirely different person.

"You're disappointing me, Hatake! Get your act together, how can I fight seriously when you pretty much allow me to hit you?! One of the strongest ninja in the village, ha! Right now I'm not seeing it." He bragged, looking at the bloodstain slowly spreading through the fabric. The Copy Nin stood there panting, he couldn't do this alone, he needed help.

Quickly running through the hand signs, it took nothing more than seconds for Kakashi's dogs to join the fight.

_I need to end this quickly, however, I can't use any jutsu…not in here, he devastation will be awful and other patients could get hurt…how can I do this? I am in no condition to fight, but I can't let Kurenai get hurt…what the hell am I going to do?_

Kakashi only just managed to dodge the attack that came his way as he snapped out of his thoughts. Chidori would not be an option, that would cause too much damage. The only option he could see was to pin Asuma with the dogs again. The Copy Nin hoped it would work, hopefully he could land a few punches and knock the other jounin out. That way, too much damage should be avoided.

_I hope this works…_

_--_

Kurenai could take it no more, the blood was running onto the floor, and it was making her feel sick. She had to get out of there, she had to get out. The room was cramped now, the atmosphere even more tense than it was before the fight began, and the woman felt like she was being suffocated. She needed to get out, she needed air.

A sudden rush of adrenaline went through her and she leapt out of the bed and out of the door. Asuma turned to shout at her, but missed her and ended up getting a kunai stabbed into his shoulder. Turning back, the outraged jounin stared into Kakashi's eyes.

"You bastard…you won't win this, I WILL KILL YOU!" he shouted and sliced his friend's upper arm with one of his blades. Kakashi jumped back, winced in pain and lifted a hand to the injured limb. Looking down at Pakkun, who was by the ninja's side, waiting for orders, Kakashi nodded once, knowing that the small dog would know what he meant.

"You know what to do."

The pug nodded and barked at the other dogs, who got into position. Kakashi was worried about where Kurenai had gone, but he knew that she would not leave the hospital. Sakura was in reception, and he was confident that the medic nin would stop Kurenai from leaving anyway. The dogs took Asuma completely by surprise as they latched onto him and pinned him into place. The jounin scrunched his face up as the dogs put pressure onto his body, and knew that he had more bite marks to add to the current collection.

"Can't fight…argh…your own battles…can you?!" he shouted out, still acting like an arrogant idiot, despite the fact there was no way for him to move. His tone soon changed as he felt a kunai being jabbed into his side.

"How dare you treat that poor woman they way you have been. If I wouldn't be dubbed a traitor I would kill you here and now." He snarled, and jabbed a kunai into the other shoulder. Kakashi was loving the fact that Asuma was now stuck and had to take whatever Kakashi dished out to him.

"It is her fault I am like this!" the other jounin shouted back and cried out when a kunai was shoved into his side roughly.

"Don't you dare speak of her that way!" Kakashi retorted and got ready to slam another kunai into the man, but a hand grabbed his wrist.

"That's enough, Kakashi."

--

Kurenai was standing at the doorway of the room, not wanting to come in any further. She was terrified, the blood was still pooling around Kakashi, and Asuma was stuck in place by a pack of dogs. She did not think that things could go so horribly wrong in the space of a couple of weeks. The woman watched as the Hokage grabbed Kakashi's wrist, preventing him from stabbing another kunai into the trapped man. Kurenai was relieved that the fight had come to an end, she didn't want any more harm to come to either of the jounin.

Tsunade had not been happy when she walked into the hospital. The Hokage had walked in to find Kurenai sobbing into Sakura's shoulder. She walked up to her young apprentice and was bombarded by the hysterical jounin instead.

"Hokage-sama, please, stop Asuma, please…Kakashi…PLEASE!" she sobbed before collapsing against Sakura's shoulder. Tsunade's mood darkened and she ran up the stairs. She could tell a fight was going on, and burst into the room. The Hokage could not believe what she was seeing.

"That's enough Kakashi!" she said as she grabbed his wrist. Once the blonde was pleased she had a good enough hold on the man's wrist, she turned to look at Kurenai.

"Do you know anything about this?" she snapped, not seeing Asuma mouth 'you tell her and you are DEAD' to the distraught woman, and that made Kurenai shake her head in a negative answer.

"No, Hokage-sama, I don't." she said, but Tsunade was not convinced.

"Hokage…sama…please…let go…" came a weak voice…but Tsunade did not notice, she was too irritated.

"Quiet, Hatake!" Tsunade snapped, and only lightened up when she saw the dogs disappear one by one. Odd, she had not demanded that the dogs be removed. Oh well, it was one less problem to deal with.

"KAKASHI!" came a shrill cry from Kurenai, and this did get the Hokage's attention. The nin had passed out, and the blood was now flowing freely.

"Shit!" Tsunade shouted and turned a glare to Kurenai.

"Come here, now, Kurenai! I need you to press this down onto the wound while I gather some medic nin!" she shouted and shoved a bunch of towels at the shocked jounin, after gently lowering the Sharingan user to the ground. Kurenai did as instructed, and pressed down as hard as she could on the wound.

_I'm sorry, I am so, so, sorry. Please…don't die…I need you…I love you…_

During this whole event, nobody noticed Asuma slip out of the window.

--

A/N: There we go, another chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own Junko, who I have decided will be in the fic again at some point.

A/N: Thanks again for all of my reviews, awesome readers I really appreciate your support. Not much of a message this time, which you may be relieved to know lol. Anyway, here is another one for you guys, so once again, please read and review!

--

Chapter 7: Why Does Life Have to Kick You in the Teeth?

_What has come over me, why do I feel like this? Have I always loved you and never known it? Do I just need someone to bounce me back into the dating scene? I have never felt this way about you before, so why do I do so now? Just please…I don't know what I will do without you, please…live, Kakashi. I'm confused…no, you can't just be a rebound, I'm not like that anyway._

She thought this as she watched the Hokage and a team of medic nin try and stop the blood that was quickly draining from Kakashi's body. Kurenai could not see a thing, but she knew that Tsunade was a powerful medic nin, the best, and that she would be able to save her friend's life.

After what seemed like an agonising few hours, Tsunade finally stepped away and wiped her brow. The glow of green healing chakra had now died down, and one of the medic nin began to clean up the blood. Kurenai stood up, ready to address the Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama, will he—" The crimson eyed woman got cut off by the blonde holding up a hand.

"With rest, Kakashi will be fine. Judging by the state he was in, the mission did not go according to plan, by the looks of things. We need to talk though, Kurenai. Why did Kakashi and Asuma end up fighting? If something is going on then I need to know, this could have all been avoided." She said sternly. The woman knew that something had scared Kurenai into not talking, and she needed to know what. Tsunade was not trying to scare the woman, but she had to lay down the facts.

"I need to know, Kurenai, Kakashi could have died, and not only would he be missed, but we would be without a valuable ninja. What happened?" the blonde said, and watched as Kurenai took a deep breath, looked over at the unconscious shinobi, and looked back at the Hokage.

"Asuma and I have been having some trouble for a few weeks now. I would rather not go into what happened, but basically, Kakashi came to my rescue, and managed to stop what was going on, though Asuma had to be restrained by the dogs. Well, when Kakashi went on his mission, no…I can't…" she said and broke down. Kurenai did not want to say, she was too scared, what if Asuma was still around, what if he heard? Tsunade let out a sigh and placed two fingers under the distressed jounin's chin, lifting her head to look properly into the crimson eyes, tears spilling once again.

"He beat you, didn't he? While Kakashi was away?" was all she said, and the suspicions were confirmed when Kurenai nodded to say he did.

"He came to apologise, not exactly sober, and well, said it was all my fault he was in the situation he was, and went to strike me. Kakashi got here and well, that's when the fight started." The woman explained, and watched as a frown found it's way onto Tsunade's features once again. This was not a good situation, and Asuma would need to be brought in. What the punishment would be, even the Hokage didn't know. Kakashi had not been killed, so it wasn't treason, so therefore Asuma could not be put to death. With a heavy sigh, Tsunade stood up and placed a hand on Kurenai's shoulder.

"This will be dealt with. Rest, and I will keep you up to date on what is happening." She said, and walked out of the room before the jounin could reply.

--

Sakura was trying to focus on her paperwork, but she found it impossible to do so. Nobody had come back into reception, and it worried her. She knew that Tsunade would be ok, but what was going on with Kakashi and Asuma. Just as she was going to head to the hospital room herself, Tsunade walked into reception.

"Tsunade-sama, what's going on?" she asked, looking up at her master with emerald eyes full of questions. The Hokage sighed and took a seat, the first thing she would do when she got back to the tower was to have some sake, there was a hell of a mess laid out before her and she was needed to untangle it.

"Make sure Kakashi does not leave this hospital." She said, and wasn't surprised to hear Sakura ask why.

"I won't lie to you Sakura, Kakashi nearly died today. He suffered from severe bleeding from wounds he sustained during the mission. Under no circumstances is he to leave, not unless I give permission, do you understand?" she said, and was pleased to see Sakura nod. No words were needed to confirm that the girl understood.

"Good girl, Sakura. I will be in the Hokage tower if you need me." She said and walked out of the door. Sakura sighed and began to get on with her work, making a mental note to check on Kakashi later in her shift.

--

_I never meant to hurt you, I never meant for this to happen. This is my fault, I should not be so weak. I don't know how I feel, I'm so confused. Do I love you, do I not love you? You seem to be able to work out everything, can you work out my feelings? Can you help me decide what I want? I should never have let you get involved, I should have been strong, and dealt with it myself, I should have confronted Asuma, I should have told you to go. Why did I put you in danger? I'm awful, nobody could love me, I deserved what Asuma did to me…stop protecting me, don't get yourself hurt anymore, don't be involved with me…even if you DID love me…I am __not worthy…I'm not good enough…I'm too weak…a shinobi should be in control of their emotions…I have been just the opposite these past few weeks…you should have let him strike me, you don't know me as well as you could do…how deep IS our friendship? Don't hurt yourself anymore, not for the sake of weak scum like me…_

Her mentality was shot to pieces. The events of the last few weeks were really testing her, physically and mentally. Kurenai was slowly becoming a wreck, and she felt that there was nothing that she could do about it. Right now, she wanted to curl up and die, but that was not an option. Was she really responsible for Asuma's suspected alcoholism? She felt responsible for what had happened to Kakashi, that was for sure.

Kurenai felt the tears coming again, and cursed herself more than once for being so weak. She should be able to hide her emotions, but everything was just overwhelming her. She stood up from her own bed and went to sit on Kakashi's, the thoughts were keeping her awake. The woman tried to tell herself that she was only thinking this way because she was tired, but wouldn't believe it.

As she sat down, she noticed the hospital covers had been pulled up to cover the parts of Kakashi's face that the mask usually kept hidden, and a few seconds later she noticed said mask on the table next to the bed, spotted with blood. It had been bad, bad enough that the Copy Nin's mask had to be removed. A lone tear trickled down her face, thinking about all the trouble she had caused. Her shoulders started to shake as more tears fell, which annoyed her even further.

"I am so sorry, Kakashi. It's my fault this has happened to you, I am an awful friend. I am too weak, I should be dealing with this myself. Please, forgive me for putting you in the situation you are now in. I'm an awful person, an awful shinobi, I can't even keep my emotions in check…I'm so sorry…" she said and began to sob harder. A few minutes later and she was draped over Kakashi's legs, having cried herself to sleep.

--

It was four in the morning when Kakashi woke up to awful pins and needles in his legs, not to mention something pressing down on them. Slowly, he sat up, wincing at the pain shooting across his torso, yet relieved that the wounds did not re-open. Slowly, the Copy Nin sat up and ran a hand down his face.

_Hold on a minute…where's my mask?_

Kakashi began to feel around in the dark until he found it on the table, but it was in no condition to be worn.

_Oh dear…that is quite the inconvenience._

The jounin tried to slide back down under the covers, but couldn't because his legs were trapped, but at least he could see what was weighing him down. Kurenai, who normally had a nice, healthy complexion, with well done makeup, but now was pale, and had black streaks down her face where her mascara had run. She looked terrible, and it didn't look like she was having a comfortable sleep either. With a sigh, Kakashi placed his arms around her waist, and biting back against the pain in his sides, pulled the woman up so she would at least be able to rest her head on the pillow. The bed was just about big enough for the pair of them, he'd just have to keep a hold of her so that she didn't fall out of the bed.

Once her legs had been moved up, the shinobi placed the covers so that it would cover both of them evenly, and lay back down himself. Wrapping an arm around the distressed woman, it took him by surprise when she leaned closer to him, seeking the warmth and comfort.

_You stupid, stupid woman, don't you dare blame yourself. We all have free will, and I chose to stand up for you so don't you dare blame yourself for what happened to me. There was no way you could protect yourself and not show emotion after what Asuma did to you, he didn't attack your body, he attacked your heart. That is unforgivable, he is scum, he had no right to treat you that way he did. Please, don't beat yourself up over this. We all have times where we can't cope, and our emotions get the better of us, but we all come out stronger. I got involved of my own free will, I could not allow him to hurt you…definitely not you…you mean too much to me…I only wish I had the courage to tell you how much I love you, Kurenai, I won't allow him to hurt you…I promise. I'd give my life for you, my only fear is that I will never be able to tell you…I love you, and as long as I am around, I will not let anyone harm you._

_That's a promise._

_--_

With these thoughts in mind, Kakashi rested his chin on top of the woman's head, beyond caring he was without his mask, and fell asleep within minutes, even though the sun was now starting to show it's face. Tomorrow would be an interesting day.

--

A/N: Well, what's going to happen the next day, I wonder…I don't even know yet XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading and please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Right, you should now this by now, don't own Naruto but I do own Junko

A/N: Thanks again for the reviews guys, it's you lot who are making me update so fast, I always do when I get loads of reviews, it lets me know people like my stuff. Got a bit more emotional stuff here now, and the plot is beginning to come together nicely. If you think Asuma has problems now, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Anyway, another chapter for you guys, please read and review

--

Chapter 8: I Look Like Me, but I Don't Feel Like Me

The sun was hot on her face as it made it's way over the horizon. This did not please the woman, it just reminded her that she had another miserable day ahead of her, stuck in a miserable hospital…being miserable. Her dreams had been plagued by thoughts of what Asuma might do to her if he found out that she had told the Hokage what had happened.

_He's going to kill me, I know he is…well, I won't stop him, hell, I deserve it…_

Kurenai wanted to cry again, she felt so worthless. She still could not think of a reason why she should even be saved, she felt like Asuma's struggles were her fault. After all, she had not allowed him to explain what had happened, and she would not allow him inside her home. Surely she would be angry too? Now the jounin felt angry at herself, she was sick of feeling weak all the time. Maybe the thoughts could be blocked out? Maybe she should convince herself everything was ok?

_I've had enough, I really have! I want to get out of here, I need to get out of here._

Kurenai angrily stomped over to the door, she was sick of herself, she was sick of life. As she waltzed past, the woman saw her reflection, and just wanted to smash it. She felt awful, dirty, like she was scum.

_I'm sick of myself, I'm nothing but a stupid bitch._

As she continued to glare at her reflection, she moved her gaze over to Kakashi, who now had his back to her, still fast asleep. It took Kurenai seconds to send an angry scowl in his direction.

_You stupid bastard, you nearly killed yourself yesterday! If you do that again, I will NEVER forgive you!_

Just as she was about to leave the room and go outside the hospital for air, which she felt she so desperately needed, the smell of smoke entered the room. Turning around, she saw that Kakashi was no longer on the bed, and when she turned back to the door, she collided with a solid chest.

"And where do you think you are going? Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Kakashi asked, and went to place a hand on the woman's shoulder, but it got slapped away.

"Keep away from me! You stupid bastard, you could have ended up dead yesterday! Why did you get involved, WHY?!" she shouted, killer intent radiating from her body. She felt lost, confused, abandoned, and the poor woman no longer knew what she wanted. Kakashi's eyes widened in shock, what had come over Kurenai all of a sudden?

"Whoa, hold on a minute, are you saying you WANTED to be beaten by Asuma yesterday?! What has gotten into you? Where is the Kurenai I know?"

_And love…_ Kakashi added as an afterthought, but swiftly shook his head to get rid of it. Kurenai took this opportunity to strike the man across the cheek. Kakashi just let it happen, the poor woman had been grabbed enough.

"I don't know, you tell me! Now move, and get out of my life!" she spat, and as soon as her colleague moved, she stormed out of the door, leaving said colleague feeling incredibly confused.

_Come on Kurenai…I know you are stronger than this…just how much damage did he cause? Maybe I should follow…no…yes…no…oh sod it, what have I got to lose?_

After that thought, Kakashi ran out of the room, hoping to catch up with the upset and confused woman.

_Hold on…I can't expose myself to the whole damn hospital…what can I use…what can I use?! _

The jounin began to hunt around, and look for something…anything, to cover his face with. He loved Kurenai, he truly did, but he did not fancy exposing his face to the hospitl AND half of Konoha. Unfortunately the one thing he found was something he didn't particularly like.

_It'll have to do…_he thought and ran out of the room once again.

--

Tsunade, and Ino, who the Hokage had met along the way, walked into the hospital and were surprised to see Kurenai running out of the hospital. Tsunade was too stunned to say anything, and instead turned to Ino.

"Good job I was going to discharge her today…anyway Ino, if you leave the flowers in reception later, that should be fine." The busty blonde told the girl, who nodded, understanding the instruction.

"No problem, thank you, Hokage-sama." She said, and began to short run back to her parents' flower shop.

Tsunade nodded and walked into the reception area, and had to resist the urge to laugh when she got into the room. Standing in front of her, was one of her best jounin…one of the jounin that other villages feared...with a bright pink hand towel wrapped around the lower half of his face.

"Kakashi, what DO you look like? Are you THAT desperate to keep your face hidden from the world?" she asked, a small giggle escaping.

"Yes, where did Kurenai go?" he asked, getting ready to run, but he was stopped by the Hokage holding up a hand.

"Two problems here, Hatake. Number one, you look like an absolute idiot, and number two, I am not sure you are fit to leave yet, you nearly died yesterday! In fact, I know you are not fit, get back to bed, now!" She said, and Kakashi let out a growl of annoyance.

"Hokage-sama, I feel fine, I can rest when I get home…please let me go, this is urgent!" he begged, and Tsunade had no option but to give in. She wouldn't be able to stop the jounin from escaping anyway, so resistance was futile.

"Fine…but be careful!"

"Understood!" and before the Hokage could blink, the jounin was gone.

_You better understand, as if you come in here even more beat up than you were yesterday, I will tie you to that damn bed and you WILL stay until you are better! _The blonde ranted inside her head. She had bigger problems though, she had to figure out how to catch Asuma. She wanted to avoid sending ANBU after him, it would be a waste of their time.

Seeing Sakura walk through the door, the Hokage had an idea.

"Sakura, before you start work, could you do me a favour?"

"What is it, Tsunade-sama?" she asked, and the blonde was pleased that her apprentice would agree.

_You're a good girl, Sakura._

"Please go and find Asuma for me, tell him I will meet him in my office. Go immediately, it is urgent." She said, and Sakura wasted no time in beginning her task.

--

He knew he had done a bad thing, he knew he had done a very bad thing. Asuma knew he was in for it now, and thought about how ashamed the Third would be of him. Deep down though, the anger was boiling. He wanted to try and make amends to Kurenai, but she had rejected him so many times now. She had not even given him a chance to explain, and he wanted to apologise so badly for what he had done.

As the jounin walked through the woods, he heard sobbing from behind a tree. Heading to it immediately, just in case it was someone in danger, he was surprised to find that it was the woman he had just been thinking about.

"Kurenai…I…" he started, and as soon as the woman recognised his voice, she stood up and backed away immediately.

"Stay away from me! You've done enough!" she shouted, and Asuma held up two hands to try and calm her.

"Kurenai, please, hear me out! Damn, is Kakashi ok?" he asked, and watched as the woman turned her head away. What had happened?

_Oh no…please tell me I didn't kill him…I'll be killed for treason!_

"He's alive…right?" the scared jounin said and was relieved to see Kurenai nod. He took one step closer, and she took two back.

"Stay away from me, I'm not going to allow you to hurt me anymore." She said, and just as Asuma was about to reply, a voice piped up from behind him.

"Asuma-sensei, Tsunade-sama wishes to see you immediately in her office." The pink haired girl said, and Asuma let out an audible sigh.

"Thank you, Sakura…" he said softly. Would he be killed? Would he get off with being suspended for a while? Asuma didn't know, but what he did know was that he was feeling more fear now than he had in his lifetime.

As soon as Kurenai saw Asuma walk away, she felt safe once more. Walking over to the lake, she was confronted with her reflection once again. With a scowl, she used her hand to smash it away, not wanting to look at herself.

_I'm a mess…and what I did to Kakashi…what's wrong with me? Why am I like this? Why do I have to screw everything up? He'll probably never speak to me again. I am such a stupid bitch, all he has done is help me, and I have said those hurtful things. Hell, I should save Asuma the trouble and just kill myself._

The tears began to fall once again, and the woman once again cursed herself for being so weak. She had cried so much over the past few weeks, and she wanted to stop. She was not being a good shinobi, she was supposed to be able to mask her emotions, and for the past weeks she had failed to do so.

"I fail at everything…I should end everything."

"No you shouldn't." came a voice from behind her. The crimson eyed beauty turned to look behind her, and was surprised to see Kakashi.

_You are still there for me, even after all the hurtful things I said to you? Why? Why do you do this?_

"Kakashi, why are you here? I should be the last person you want to see right now." She said, a tear rolling down her cheek. The jounin did not move when her fellow shinobi sat down next to her.

"I can't abandon you, Kurenai…you're my friend. Friends who abandon each other are nothing but scum. Now come on, the Kurenai I know is MUCH stronger than this. Where is that Kurenai, huh?" he asked, and more sobs racked the woman's body. The silver haired nin wanted to do nothing more than to hold her while she cried, but he did not want to push her away, or make her feel weak. She probably felt awful right now, hell, he could see that. She probably felt weak enough as it was, and Kakashi didn't want to risk making it worse.

"I am not strong, Kakashi…I'm weak. A shinobi should be able to mask their emotions, and well, over the past few weeks I have done the exact opposite. I feel tired, I feel lonely, I feel angry, I feel depressed. It would be just so much simpler to find a hole and die." Kurenai said, the tears cascading down her cheeks like a never ending waterfall. She let her head rest on her friend's shoulder, which took him by surprise, and he slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. It seemed a hug was needed, she probably needed to feel safe.

"Stop telling yourself that. I KNOW you are strong, you just need time to heal. Asuma has hurt you badly, and I don't know how bad the damage is, but seeing this makes me think the damage is awful, hell, beyond awful. You know that you would be missed if you died, we all love you here, you're an outstanding shinobi, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, you understand me?" he said, and was surprised to hear a choked laugh come from Kurenai. What had he said that was funny?

"I'm sorry, but has something amused you, Kurenai?" he said, but deep down he was pleased that she was laughing.

"I'm just curious to know just WHY you are out in public with a bright pink towel around your face."

"Ack, for crying out loud, it was the only thing I could find!" he said, and smiled underneath it when he saw her laugh harder. After a while she calmed down, the tears having turned from rears of sorrow to tears of laughter. That was just what she needed, a good laugh.

_Maybe this is why I love you, you are there for me. I just wish I knew more about you. You have seen so much of my private life now, yet I know nothing of your's. Will you ever trust me enough to tell me more? Should I just get rid of these feelings? Would you ever love me like I love you? I want to ask you so much, but I don't want to scare you away…if I did that I am sure I would fall apart. Just being near you makes me feel better._

Slowly she came out of her thoughts and realised she was still resting on her friend's shoulder.

"You know, Kakashi…I'm sorry for all that I said earlier. I just…I don't want you to get hurt, not just for me. Please, don't put yourself in harm's way…just for me. I don't want to lose you." Once she had finished her sentence, Kurenai's eyes widened in shock. She did not just say what she thought she just said…right?

_You stupid, stupid, STUPID WOMAN! What the hell did I go and say that for? STPUID STUPID WOMAN!_

"Well, I don't want to lose you either, Kurenai."

Those words stopped the woman scolding herself in her mind…did that mean…there was a chance the Copy Nin loved her? When she had seen him around, she did not think the man was capable of feeling emotions like love. She had been proved wrong, and was pleased about that.

Feeling a lot braver, she let out a sigh. It was now or never, she had to take the risk, she had to know. The female jounin was ready to say it, but would Kakashi reply with the words she desperately wanted to hear?

"Kakashi…I have something I need to say to you." She said slowly, still testing out whether this would be such a good idea or not. The last thing she wanted to do was freak him out.

"What is it?" he asked, and Kurenai took a deep breath. She had to say it, now that he wanted to know what she was going to say.

"I love you." There, that was it, she had said it. Those three words were now out in the open. She found it impossible not to love the Copy Nin, after all they have been through together these past few weeks.

Though surprised at first, Kakashi soon calmed again. He was pleased he wouldn't be responsible for crushing her heart, like Asuma had done. They had not known each other brilliantly well before the saga with Asuma happened, but in just the space of a few weeks they had grown so much closer.

"I love you too, Kurenai." And after those words were spoken, the jounin rested his head on top of Kurenai's, enjoying the peace together. Kurenai felt so much better now, she knew she could not heal on her own. However her thoughts soon turned dark again, but she was not going to kill the mood and voice them.

_Please don't punish him too harshly, Tsunade-sama…_

_--_

Tsunade was not surprised to see Asuma turn up mere seconds after she did. That was good, the sooner she said what she wanted to say the better, it meant she could get back to her drinking, and paperwork, though she would rather avoid the latter, but Shizune would not let her.

"Well, Asuma, I trust you know why you are here." She said sternly, refraining from shouting. Asuma just nodded solemnly, feeling the atmosphere get heavier second by second.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, I am ready to receive my punishment." He said, and stood in silence, the atmosphere weighing heavy on his shoulders.

The Third's son only hoped his life would be spared.

--

A/N: That…was a long chapter OO Anyway, thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, but the only way I will know that is if you leave a review, so please do!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto, but I do own Junko.

A/N: Sorry this update is a little later, but I have had a busy weekend and little time to write, and I don't know if there will be a chapter out tomorrow as I am having a tattoo done and I my arm might be in a bit of pain, but we shall see lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and please review! As a side note, please do not flame, as if you do, then the review will be deleted.

This is now registered as a KakaxKure fic, and not just because someone was being petty and thought they would send me a review detailing how I had it in the wrong bit, but I deleted that, as I do not tolerate flames, especially if the names are in caps, almost saying that I am a retard and I don't know who is who.

But anyway, enough of that lol, anyone fancy being a jounin? If you do, let me know in a review, and I can write you in! Not too many though lol, only two or three.

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Chapter 9: Justice is Served

The Hokage was not sure what she should do, she was still low on jounin and now she had to decide what to do with the one in front of her. She could not believe what he had done, the man's actions disgusted her. How he could hurt and assault a fellow shinobi, she did not know, and deep down, she was not even sure he knew. What had become of him? What had happened to the Asuma everyone knew and loved? Tsunade was confused, but she knew that she could not sit there in deep thought forever, she had a punishment to hand out.

With a sigh, she looked up at the shamed man in front of her. Tsunade hoped she didn't come to regret her decision.

"Sarutobi Asuma, I hereby sentence you to be locked up in prison until I see fit to release you. You are stripped of your rank of jounin, and will never be a shinobi again. You clearly do not know the value of friendship and having comrades to stand by you, and you are not fit to have either. You have shamed your clan, and your father. The son of the Third, doing this, you are an embarrassment to your father, soiling his legacy." She said sternly, usually warm brown eyes cold with anger. It had hurt her to sentence him in this way, but after what he had done, the man could not walk free. In the Hokage's eyes, he deserved death, but his crimes were not enough. He had not killed, which would have been treason, so keeping him locked up in prison and stripping him of his status was the best she could do.

With a click of her fingers, two ANBU appeared, decorated white masks looking stunning, in the office and stood silently, waiting for instructions.

"ANBU Horse, ANBU Cat, escort Asuma to the prisons. Get used to bars, Sarutobi, you'll be there a long time. Dismissed!" she said harshly, and watched as the ANBU took the shamed ex-jounin away.

_I have done the right thing, I know it. Hopefully some new jounin will through well in the final exam._

_--_

_Where did it all go wrong for me? Was this all my fault? What have I become? Tsunade-sama was right, I have shamed my father. What would he think of me if he was alive today? I need a drink, a nice, long drink…but there is no chance of getting that, not while I am in prison. Will I have anything to do in prison, or will I have to wile away the hours by just being bored? I never thought this would happen to me, but in a way, I have deserved it. I should rot in Hell for how I have treated Kurenai, I had no right to do what I did to her. I do not blame Kakashi for stabbing all of those kunai into me, he probably wanted me to feel the pain I have made Kurenai suffer with. I never wanted to hurt her, and now I am paying the price. I only hope that she will one day find it in my heart to forgive me._

Asuma knew that he was getting closer and closer to the prison, and this depressed him. Would he be allowed alcohol? The former ninja doubted it. Surely it wouldn't hurt to ask though?

"Excuse me, I don't suppose alcohol is allowed?" he asked, and was met with a stony silence. Evidently, the ANBU were not going to answer his question. It was frustrating, but there was nothing that Asuma could do, he could not force them to speak, and even if he tried, they could slice him down in seconds. That was a risk that he was not willing to take.

They were at the prison now, and he was stripped of his weapons, and shoved into a cell with nothing but the clothes on his back. It hurt that he was likely to never get out of there again, and if he did, then what on earth would the people in the village think of him? Would he have to leave? Would he be treated like Naruto was until he proved himself to everyone? Asuma didn't want to think about it.

_I wonder what Kurenai will do now that I am banged up? Will she heal ok? Will she go out and celebrate? I hate this and I haven't even been in here for five minutes. I bet she'll run off with Kakashi now anyway, no…I shouldn't be in here! Kakashi was the one shoving kunai into me, why is he not here too? Silly me, I forgot that Tsunade prefers him to me! Well, he won't get away with this, neither will Tsunade, neither will Kurenai. Maybe I will be let out early if I behave myself…I can only hope that will be the case._

Asuma was angry now, he wanted to be out there. The only future he could see for himself right now was madness, stuck in a cell with nothing but four walls for company. It hurt, he never realised how fragile freedom was. He had taken it for granted, and now he didn't have it, he really missed it.

_I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! I can't though…these bars will suck my chakra reserves dry. I hate this, as soon as I am out of here, they will pay, they will all pay!_

--

Kurenai woke up to the sun lighting up her room. Kakashi had dropped her off after their heart to heart by the water, but once he left, a sudden feeling of loneliness washed over her. She was alone in her cold, empty home, and had nobody to share it with. She should have been with Asuma by now, but those plans had been blown out of the water after the man she thought loved her ended up betraying her. She still felt like trash, and deep down, did not believe that Kakashi was being entirely honest with her.

_He probably only told me that he loved me in an attempt to make me feel better. I am not worth loving, there must be something wrong with me if Asuma felt he had to betray me like that. I honestly thought that man was the one, now I see that I am worth nothing. I loved him, I wanted to spend my life with him, and I have ended up like this. I am worthless, and Kakashi probably only wants to soften the blows. Why would he feel the need to lie to me? I know Kakashi is not like that, he would never lie to me, he always tells it as it is…does he love me? No, nobody could ever love me, I deserve nobody. I deserved what I got, trash is not worthy of happiness._

These awful thoughts rang through the woman's head as she made the bed and went into the kitchen. She wasn't sure what she should do with herself, her wounds were all healed, well, the physical ones anyway. The turmoil of the last few weeks had taken it's toll on her, and she felt drained, helpless, and useless. Her confidence was gone, she still looked a mess. Kurenai sighed and went into the bathroom, she decided to get ready for training and see if Hinata wanted to spar. Yes, a spar would do her good.

With a defiant smile at her reflection, she quickly got ready. Skipping breakfast, the jounin left her home and headed to the Hyuuga compound.

--

Hinata had been awake for a long time, she had things she wanted to sort out before she went on her mission later that day. What she did not expect was someone to come knocking so early in the morning. Quickly rushing to the door, she opening it to find her sensei. Hinata noticed how much better the woman looked, her bruises were slowly fading and her complexion looked healthy again. Kurenai noticed the girl staring into space and cleared her throat to bring her back to reality.

"S-sorry, Kurenai-sensei. What can I do for you?" the Hyuuga asked, and leaned on the doorframe. She still had to prepare for her mission, and wanted to get back to her preparations as soon as possible.

"I was wondering if you wanted to train with me for a while, I am feeling a bit rusty." The jounin said, and Hinata's face fell. She really did not have the time to help, and it upset her, but she would have to refuse.

"Sorry, I have to get ready for my mission later this afternoon, I have a lot of things I needto prepare." She said, regret in her beautiful pearly eyes. Kurenai's face fell, and she nodded solemnly.

"No problem, good luck on your mission, Hinata. See you when you get back." She said with a smile, and with a wave, she made her way out of the Hyuuga compound.

Hinata shut the door with a sigh, it really had not been long since she found her sensei beaten up in her own home.

_Are you really ready for training yet?_

_--_

As the crimson eyes jounin madder her way to the ramen stand, she heard mysterious whispers between the villagers she passed. Did something big happen and she missed it?

"Did you hear what happened to Asuma?"

Kurenai stopped in her tracks, what had happened? Was he ok? What had Tsunade done to him? The woman turned to see two women talking outside of the flower shop.

"Excuse me, I do not mean to interrupt, but what has happened to Asuma?" the jounin asked, fear in her voice. She hoped that he had not been killed, even after all that he had done to her. The villagers gave her a bizarre look, almost as if Kurenai should know everything by now.

"He's banged up in jail, and has been stripped of his status. Apparently, if he gets out, then he will never be allowed to be a shinobi again!"

Kurenai now had a look of horror on her face, she had never meant for that to happen. She regretted ever saying it, and knew it was all her fault that he was in jail. Before the women could blink, the jounin had left the scene and was heading straight for the prison.

_I am so sorry, Asuma…I have to try and get you out of there!_

_--_

Next chapter: The Confrontation

A/N: There we go, another chapter for everyone! I already have the next one lined up. I apologise for the delay, I had to help my grandma with a barbeque over the weekend, and I had the outline of my tattoo done today. Nevertheless, I may start the next one later tonight, but no promises. Thanks for reading and please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own the character I created Junko.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews again! I would like to thank KingKakashi for idea he gave me in his last review, it has given me a lot of inspiration for this chapter! Anyway, there is not a lot left to say in this note, compared to the novel of a note I left last time anyway. Please review once you have read!

--

Chapter 10: The Confrontation

She had to see him, she had to tell him she was sorry. This had all gone out of control, why did she have to say anything? Things were going smoothly, but then she just had to open her mouth, didn't she? Kurenai was mentally kicking herself as she raced towards the prison. She needed to get her feelings out, and in a way, she had to see that it was not true. Deep down though, she knew it was true. Asuma would be rotting in a cell, and he would rot there for a long time.

Before she knew it, she was standing outside the prison. With a deep breath, she walked inside, found out where Asuma was, and made her way to the cell. Kurenai was not sure what she could say, and began to regret going, but she was there now, so she might as well go and see the man.

It did not take her long to find the cell, and she let out a gasp. Asuma looked a mess. His jounin jacket had long been discarded and was full of holes where he had put cigarettes on it. It made her heart skip a beat, as she had never seen him in such a state, not even when he came back from a mission that went wrong. She wanted to cry, wanted to feel sorry, but she couldn't. The guilt tried to surface, but she couldn't allow it. She was not going to be weak anymore, Kurenai would not allow it to happen.

Asuma noticed her quickly enough, and stood up slowly. He walked over to her, and was saddened to see her back away.

"Hello, Kurenai." He said, unsure of what else to say to her.

_Why is that bitch here? Is it to gloat that I am behind bars and she is free, KAKASHI is free?! How dare he be free, stupid Hokage…he probably got off with a slap on the wrist, while I end up in here…hold on a minute…!_

"YOU BITCH!" He suddenly shouted, and took Kurenai so much by surprise that he managed to grab the fishnet she was wearing under her bandages.

"A-Asuma…you're hurting me! Let go!" she screamed, but to no avail, he just pulled her closer, this time holding the back of her hair and pinching harshly.

"You bitch, you told Tsunade, didn't you? You will pay, I will make you pay! You can tell your dear lover that he is DEAD when I get out of here. When I am out, next time you open your bloody door, you will find the Sharingan that has been carved out of his damn skull on your doorstep! I will have my revenge, just wait and see, you little whore!" He screamed in her face and released her hair roughly, throwing her into the wall. The poor woman didn't even bother to calm herself as she ran out of the prison. The tears flowed freely once again as she fled to her home, she did not know what to do with herself. All she wanted to do was lock herself indoors and do nothing.

--

The Copy Nin thought he would go and visit Kurenai, as he had not seen her for a few days. Kakashi hoped she was alright, he had heard about what happened to Asuma. Also, he had more things on his mind. The jounin had just been to see Tsunade, who had a new job proposition for him.

_Is going back to ANBU really going to be a good idea?_

Kakashi tried to push those thoughts out of his mind as he walked up to Kurenai's door and knocked. There was silence, so the nin knocked again.

"Kurenai, are you in there?"

"GO AWAY!" Came a cry from the other side of the door. Kakashi sighed, what had upset the woman?

"Kurenai, let me in! Don't make me break this door down!" he called through, wanting to avoid damaging the door if possible.

"Please, leave me be!" she called out, and the silver haired nin let out a sigh. Then he had an idea, he had a teleportation jutsu, the door could live for another day. All passers by saw was a puff of smoke, which they ignored. With all the ninja in the village, it was a regular sight.

--

She was curled up in a ball on the sofa, not capable of rational thought. She was clutching a kunai, and had tears streaming down her cheeks. She was an emotional wreck, and was slowly turning into a physical one again. As soon as she saw smoke fill the room, she panicked and threw the kunai at whoever was responsible, but when the smoke cleared she saw Kakashi, who had caught it easily.

"Get out…he'll know…he'll kill you…and me. GO!" she shouted and threw another kunai.

_Please leave, this will make things worse. I cannot allow myself to love you. I have to protect you, Asuma will get out…and hurt you…I can't let that happen…please listen…please…_

"Wait a minute, Kurenai, what's--?" Kakashi started, but was cut off by a kunai whizzing past his ear. It stuck itself to the wall, not looking like it would come out anytime soon.

"Kakashi, GO! I can't love you…I can't…just get out…"

"Kurenai…"

"OUT!" She screamed, and threw another kunai. Kakashi got the message and swiftly left.

Kurenai cried herself to sleep a few minutes later.

_Go and be safe, Kakashi, I love you._

_--_

Hinata had got back from her mission, it had been simple for her to do. It was only a C rank, but there was nobody else left to do it, so she volunteered. She didn't bother going home, and instead she went to visit Kurenai. The Hyuuga heiress got there just as Kakashi was leaving.

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei, is Kurenai-sensei available?" she asked, but it took a while for her to get a response.

"Yes…she is…I suppose…" he said, and teleported away, leaving Hinata standing there, very confused.

_What was that all about? _The Hyuuga heiress thought as she knocked on the door. To her surprise, it opened, revealing Kurenai in a very different state then she was when the crimson-eyed jounin last saw Hinata. The woman looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept for days and it worried Hinata.

"Kurenai-sensei…forgive me but…you look a wreck…" she said softly, wondering what had come over the woman. Her makeup was all over her face again, and her eyes looked sunken and dull, not the usual vibrant red that they were. The woman in question let out a shaky sigh.

"I'll be fine…do you want to come in for some tea? I hope it is not too bold of me, Hinata…but I need someone to talk to right now…I fear I have done something incredibly foolish." She said, and got out of the way so that the pearl eyed girl could enter into the home.

"You know you can talk to me, Kurenai-sensei. What is the problem?" she asked as she helped the jounin put the tea on. It was strange how in such a short space of time, Kurenai could go from being vibrant and wanting to train, to looking like a broken and vulnerable woman.

"Well…I am not sure how to say this really…maybe I should just keep quiet. Hell, this whole mess wouldn't have started if I had just kept my mouth shut." She said, running her nails down her arm in frustration. Hinata let out a sad sigh and took her sensei's hand in her own, forcing her to tense in surprise, but soon relax.

"What has happened to make you feel like this, Kurenai-sensei? You were always so strong, and you were there for me, so let me be there for you. We are not only student and teacher, but friends too. You have advised me in the past, now let me give advice to you." She said softly, and listened as her teacher sighed again. The tea was now done, and in a few seconds it was in two mugs and the women made their way to the living room. Once Kurenai was seated she took a deep breath, and got ready to begin her tale.

"Well, to put it bluntly, I am confused as to what I want. I guess you saw Kakashi earlier?" she asked, and Hinata nodded and took a sip of tea.

"Yes, I did. He seemed more…mysterious…than usual." She said, still confused by the statement the other jounin had come out with. Kurenai took a sip of her own tea and got ready to continue. She was uncomfortable about getting all of the facts out in the open, but she felt so ashamed of everything that had happened. The situation had exploded out of control, she had landed Asuma in jail and alienated Kakashi.

"Well, it's all my fault. I really don't know how to say this, I went and well…pushed him away…I guess, when all he did was try and help me. Things have gone on that I don't care to discuss, but Kakashi…he was there for me…and well…I have been such a fool." She said, eyes falling and focusing on the green tea in her cup.

"Your feelings go beyond the feelings that you would have for a friend?" Hinata said, a knowing smile on her face. She could kind of see where Kurenai was coming from, she was in a similar situation with Naruto, except a disaster had not brought them together. Now that she had found some new hidden confidence, she still needed to find the confidence to tell the Kyuubi container how she felt. She let out a nearly inaudible sigh, but it was not enough to escape Kurenai's ears.

"Sounds like you are having problems with your feelings as well." She said with a warm smile. It was good of Hinata to talk this out with her, but still, the woman could not help but feel that all the problems could have been avoided if she had just stayed quiet. She rubbed the back of her head unconsciously, the scalp still a bit sore from where Asuma had grabbed her earlier that day. The words he had spoken to her would stay with her for a very long time, she knew it.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Hinata came back from the shock of what her former sensei had said. She had hit the nail right on the head, while at the same time, admitting that she had emotional problems too.

"I just don't know how to talk to him, you know? Getting over my stutter is one thing, but all the shyness comes flooding back when I see Naruto." The Hyuuga said, but an idea sprung to her. Surely it would be good for Kurenai to go out for the evening? It would take her mind off of things, and cheer her up a bit. Hinata did not know what had gone on in her former sensei's life recently, but something had upset her, and Hinata hated to see Kurenai in such a state.

"Say, Kurenai-sensei, shall we have a night on the town? We can stop off at Ichiraku's for dinner if you want." She said, and was pleased to see the other woman's eyes light up.

"Sure, if you go and get ready now Hinata, I will meet you at your compound." She said. A night out was just what she needed to help her get back on her feet. Hinata was about to go when she turned to look at her sensei.

"Let's find Kakashi-sensei tonight…if he wants to help you, then let him, don't push him away." She said, a serious look on her face for a second, but before long, she was all smiles and walked out of the house. Kurenai was left with her thoughts, but it was not long before a small smile graced her features.

_Thank you, Hinata._

_--_

Naruto was in the midst of a breakdown. He could smell the ramen…but he was broke. His frog wallet was empty, and the boy was distraught. The ramen was so close, but yet so far. Just as he was about to turn back, he spotted Kakashi in the distance, surprisingly enough, not reading his perverted novel. Naruto got a devious smirk on his face.

_Maybe my mission to get ramen is not such a failure…_

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" he called out and ran over to the Copy Nin. Said nin already knew what the boy wanted.

"Naruto, I am not even going to fight you. Come on, good job I got paid." He said, and even Naruto could see that something was wrong.

"Hey, you don't seem like your normal self? Where's the excuses?" the blonde asked, scratching his head. Kakashi sighed as he walked into Ichiraku's, ordering Naruto's first bowl of ramen. Naruto joined his former teacher, still waiting for an answer.

"It doesn't matter…just eat your ramen." Kakashi said with a sigh, but Naruto was not happy with that answer.

"Kakashi-sensei…we know nothing about you. Seriously, what is going on in that head of your's? Oh, hey Hinata, Kurenai-sensei!" Naruto called out, and Kakashi was pleased the blonde was looking the other way as his visible eye widened.

_No…I've heard enough for today…I need an excuse to get out of here. Why, when I really need an excuse, can I not think of a single bloody one?! Right, keep calm, maybe she just won't say anything. I can only hope, because I don't know what I will say to her…_

Kakashi let out a sigh and asked Ayame to get another bowl of ramen on the go for Naruto.

It felt like butterfly central in Kurenai's stomach. She was slowly trying to build up her confidence at home, to try and talk to Kakashi, but all that confidence had just gone straight out the window. She was feeling like a wreck, but now she had come this far, she was not going to turn back now…though Hinata wouldn't allow her to do so anyway.

_I was a fool for agreeing to this, I am probably the last person Kakashi wants to see right now. Why did I let Hinata talk me into this? Will he even want to talk to me? I have just proved how much of an idiotic bitch I am, all I am capable of is messing things up. He's probably learnt that __if he wants a nice, easy life, he should stay away from me. Now I am here though…I can't go…what am I going to do?_

A tense silence fell over the group, but Naruto was too busy with his ramen to notice. Hinata hoped that nothing would go wrong.

_Please let this go well, Kurenai-sensei needs all the confidence she can get right now…_

_--_

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but here is a nice long chapter for you, probably the longest yet. My tattoo is doing well, I am not sore now, and it is easier to move my arm, though to be honest, it does itch a bit lol. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I probably never will…though you shouldn't say never. Anyway! I do own Junko.

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! I am feeling pretty drained though, very indecisive…the images I am getting are confusing ones. Long story short, if you didn't know already, I see my stories in images, and I turn the images into words, which get turned into the fic. Confusing, I know lol. Anyway, here is another chapter, the relationship…well, relationships should be heating up soon, which is good, but I don't like it when relationships are too rushed lol. Enjoy, and please review! Also, going to be a couple of flashbacks in this one, hope they are ok.

--

Chapter 11: Did I Even Bother With A Title for Chapter 10? Adiji can't remember.

It had seemed like such a simple plan when she was at home, getting ready. However, now it was time to execute the plan, she was not feeling so confident. The butterflies multiplied every second, and all she wanted to do was run.

_Will you forgive me for what I did to you? Please just understand that I was trying to protect you. Will you understand that, will you be annoyed? I want you to be safe, that is my reasoning, will you let me explain? I don't see why you should though, I am not worthy enough to explain. All I ask of you is that you are honest when you speak with me, and don't just say the words you think I want to hear._

She snapped out of her trance to find Naruto begging Kakashi for more ramen, who reluctantly agreed to buy the hyper ninja another bowl, and Hinata laughing at the scene playing out in front of them. She would not appear to be blushing to the two males, but Kurenai was standing close enough to her to notice.

_She still likes you, Naruto. I pray you do not make the mistakes I did with Kakashi…though you are not the type of person that I am. I should accept the fact that I have killed all hopes of a relationship._

"Kurenai-sensei, come sit with us!" Naruto called out, snapping the woman out of her thoughts. Well, there was no turning back now. An idea sprung to her, maybe this would not be so bad after all. She could sit between Kakashi and Naruto, and she could say that she was saving him from having to buy more ramen!

_Kurenai, you are a genius!_

Trying to keep the butterflies at bay, she made her way over to the empty stool and sat down. Was she in the mood for ramen? Kurenai was not sure. It was not a special night, by any means, her and Hinata dressed like they always did. She felt better, the fresh air was doing her good, and it gave her a chance to forget the events which had mentally shattered her.

"You're looking well tonight." Came a voice and she turned to see Kakashi looking at her. He did not sound annoyed, but you never could tell, as the Copy Nin was good at masking his emotions. The butterflies were slowly creeping their way back, and she didn't like it.

"T-thank you." She said, and looked away. She felt like a child when they first met someone knew, shy and vulnerable. She was not ready for this, she was not confident enough, she felt like she just couldn't do it. Kurenai looked over at Hinata, who now had her own bowl of ramen, and watched as the young Hyuuga gave her an encouraging look.

With a sigh, she turned to look back at Kakashi. Now was the time to prove that she had strength. Kurenai had felt so weak for a long time, and now she would be able to prove to herself that she was slowly becoming the woman she once was again.

"Shall we…take a walk later? I have many things I need to say…" she said sheepishly, trying to avoid eye contact. Her eyes widened in shock when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sure thing, though let's go now…or else I'll be broke by the end of the evening." Kakashi said with a small laugh. The nin stood up and placed enough money on the counter to pay for Naruto's tab, and then turned to the blonde.

"There is enough money there for the ramen, Naruto. I'll see you later, have fun you two!" He said, gave a small wave, and began to walk away. Kurenai smiled before turning to Hinata.

"Thank you, Hinata. Enjoy your evening." She said with a cheeky wink, and followed in Kakashi's footsteps.

--

Hinata was left to watch her sensei walk away with a fierce blush on her face. As she watched Naruto finish off another bowl of ramen, she thought back to the conversation that her and Kurenai had earlier that day.

_FLASHBACK_

_They would be taking the long way to Ichiraku's, she knew that as soon as she knocked on the door. Kurenai would need to get her confidence up before they departed, this situation was not to be rushed. Snapping out of her thoughts, she found herself walking through the training grounds with Kurenai. Soon enough, her former sensei had broken the silence._

"_**You still love Naruto, don't you, Hinata?**__"_

_That had caught the Hyuuga heiress by surprise. Was she still that obvious? Hinata had grown a lot, and she had moved up from fainting whenever the blonde spoke to her, to being able to speak to him with nothing more than a slight blush on her face. Well, the cat was out of the bag, she may as well talk to Kurenai about it, as it would break the silence._

"_**I do, but I am not so sure if he likes me the same way. I have finally found the confidence to speak with him without fainting…I do not have the confidence to tell him how I feel. To be honest, Kurenai-sensei, I don't think I ever will.**__" She said softly and continued to walk through the grounds. It hurt her that she could not confess her love for the Kyuubi container, but she did not want to mess up the friendship. Kurenai sighed and looked over at Hinata._

"_**I am sure you will be fine, I bet Naruto likes you back! I think he has pretty much given up on Sakura now, and to be honest, they look better as friends, and she seems to have gotten over Sasuke. Anyway, we are going off track, talk to him tonight. I bet you he will be eating ramen tonight, so let's go to Ichiraku's!**__" the woman suggested, and surprisingly enough, Hinata liked the idea._

"_**You know, maybe Kakashi-sensei will be there. You can talk to him then!**__" Hinata said, but her suggestion was not met with a smile._

"_**I don't know…he probably won't want to see me now. I attacked him, I screamed at him, if he loved me before, he sure as hell doesn't now.**__" She said, the tears threatening to spill. Kurenai stopped them though, she was getting through too much makeup because of her tears. The Hyuuga sighed and lay a hand on her friend's arm._

"_**You don't know that, talk to him. You tell me to talk to Naruto and swallow my fear of not having enough confidence, now I am telling you to swallow your fear and talk to Kakashi. I am sure he will listen, at least if he truly loves you then he will.**__" She said softly, and the genjutsu expert had to concede that the Hyuuga had a point. All she did was nod, and Hinata knew the message had got through. They continued to the ramen stand in a comfortable silence._

_END FLASHBACK_

That had been some time, and the confidence had made itself known for a while…but now it was all gone. With a gulp, she ordered two more bowls, one for herself and one for Naruto. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but the words would not come. She waited for the ramen in silence, thinking of one sentence after another, but none of them leaving her mouth. Naruto, even though he could be an idiot, could tell that something was up.

"Are you ok, Hinata?" he asked, not completely distracted from the new bowl of ramen he was diving into rapidly. The girl sighed and placed her chopsticks in the bowl, she would not be able to enjoy her meal until she had got a few things off of her chest.

"I just have some conflicting romantic feelings right now." She said, wanting to keep Naruto in the dark for now. She had only just gathered the nerve to say that, she had nowhere near enough confidence to say who she was in love with. It was cutting the Hyuuga up inside, but there was nothing she could do about that.

_Maybe I could stick a picture of Naruto to my mirror, and practice that way. Who knows, it might work…_

It did not take her long to realise that Naruto had placed his own chopsticks down, and listened as the blonde let out sigh.

"You're not the only one, believe me…I am having trouble too…I suppose, and between you and me, so is Kakashi-sensei. He's having a bit of a…dilemma, shall we say." Naruto said, slowly reminiscing on the events he had witnessed in the ramen stand earlier.

_FLASHBACK_

_Naruto was onto his fourth bowl of ramen, but no matter how distracted he was, the Kyuubi container could not help noticing that something was not quite right. Kakashi not only had any ramen, and the Copy Nin usually ate with Naruto if he ended up paying for the boy's dinner anyway, but the nin was not even reading. Now even Naruto could see that something was wrong with his sensei._

"_**Kakashi-sensei, is something wrong? Usually you are reading your perverted book by now. Want to talk about it? After all, I'm going to be Hokage one day, I need to get used to solving problems!**__" Naruto said loudly. Back when he was a genin, he would not have dreamed of asking Kakashi something like that, but they knew each other well now, so the blonde felt ok asking those kinds of questions. The Copy Nin let out a sigh and turned his eye to his student._

"_**It doesn't matter, just concentrate on your ramen.**__" The jounin said, but Naruto was not going to give up. Something was not right with Kakashi, and he wanted to know what._

"_**Please tell me, Kakashi-sensei! Friends help each other, after all, they are scum if they don't…right?**__" Naruto said, and Kakashi knew he was not getting out of this one. The blonde was using his own words against him, which did not help matters._

"_**Fine…you PROMISE you will keep this quiet?**__" Kakashi said, using the sternest tone he had ever used with Naruto. The blonde seemed to get it, and nodded. Kakashi took this as a suitable signal to start the story._

"_**Well, something bad happened to this woman…so I helped her, and well, she's fragile right now, and…she flipped out, and things have become complicated. Thank you for the offer of help Naruto, but it is something that I need to figure out alone.**__"Kakashi said softly, and Naruto got back to eating his ramen._

_The silence was a comfortable one, but a short one. It took only a few minutes for Naruto to put his chopsticks down again and turn back to Kakashi._

"_**Do you…well…LIKE this woman?**__" Naruto asked, a cheeky grin on his face. However, it was not enough to get answers out of Kakashi, who merely turned to Naruto, a smirk hidden under his mask._

"_**Isn't it funny that you ask me if I 'LIKE' a woman, as you so subtly put it, when you yourself are having problems with women yourself, Naruto?**__" Kakashi said, and watched as Naruto began to turn the shade of a strawberry. It was no secret that Naruto felt the same way about Hinata as the Hyuuga did about the blonde. Naruto may have been able to hide the facts from the general public, but those close to the hyper ninja could see he was obviously in love with her._

"_**H-how do you…I-I don't know what you mean!**__" Naruto said, trying to fight the blush and failing miserably, and a laugh escaped the jounin next to him._

"_**She seems to be growing in confidence, no longer the scared and shy girl she used to be when she was a genin. Talk to her, I am sure she feels the same way about you, especially seeing as she used to go the colour of a tomato and faint whenever you spoke to her.**__" Kakashi told the boy next to him, who now had the smirk back on his face._

"_**You should take your own advice, Kakashi-sensei.**__" Was all Naruto said as he continued to eat his ramen._

_The comfortable silence fell once again._

_END FLASHBACK_

"Naruto…are you ok?"

The blonde snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Hinata looking at him, a worried expression on her face. Naruto did not realise he had spaced out, but he covered the fact up with one of his cheeky grins.

"I'm ok…though I think something is up with Kakashi-sensei…he's distracted by a girl…says I have romance problems, HA!" Naruto said with a laugh as he continued with his ramen. Hinata immediately knew who the woman was, but she said nothing as she continued to eat her ramen.

--

Kurenai and Kakashi were making their way to the lake, but the walk had been wrapped in silence, neither one of them sure what to say. It was not a comfortable silence either, it was full of tension. Kurenai could take it no longer, and went to lean against a large tree. She was pleased to see that Kakashi followed, and she made her way up to sit on a thick branch.

"Let's talk up here, less risk of people listening. I am sick of all the gossip about Asuma as well." She sighed sadly, and watched as Kakashi walked up to join her.

More silence followed, but it was not Kurenai who broke it this time, it was the Copy Nin.

"Kurenai…did you really mean those words you said?" was all the jounin said, and looked out at the lake, distracting himself by looking at the moon's reflection in the water. The silence fell again while Kurenai thought about her answer, but after what seemed like ages, she had finally thought of a reply.

"No…I didn't…I'm sorry Kakashi, I just don't want you to get hurt." She said, looking up at the man, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The silver haired nin wanted to hold her there and then, but that would be too sudden, he did not want her to react badly.

"Kurenai, I would not get involved if I did not want to. What do you take me for, huh? I want to protect you Kurenai, I couldn't care less if I get hurt, as long as you are safe. If anything hurt me, it was what you said earlier." Kakashi said, and wiped away a lone tear that had fallen from one of Kurenai's crimson eyes. He knew that more would come, but he was not bothered by that, there was a lot of emotion inside the woman that was just waiting to come out.

"All those hurtful things I said…you shouldn't forgive me…just—"

"Kurenai! Stop pushing me away ok? You cannot go through this alone, I am not going to leave you in this state. I love you, Kurenai, don't turn me away again." He said, and watched as the crimson pools widened. Before he had time to say anything else, Kakashi felt Kurenai wrap her arms around his neck and draw him into a hug. That was not what he had been expecting.

_Well, at least she didn't react badly…_ Kakashi thought as he wrapped his arms around the hurting woman.

"Come on, Kurenai…let's take you home." He said, smiling at her through the mask. Kurenai nodded and wiped away a few stray tears, before jumping down from the tree.

Things finally started to be looking up.

--

It did not take the pair long to reach Kurenai's home, they ran most of the way. It had clouded over and the heavens were threatening to open, so they both agreed it would be best to move quickly. Once they arrived, Kurenai opened the door and leant on the frame.

"Thanks Kakashi, for everything…see you tomorrow." She asked, and Kakashi smiled again. A comfortable silence fell between the two, before Kurenai held her arms out towards the man.

"One last hug to get me through the night?" she asked, a soft, yet sad smile on her face. Kakashi nodded and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around the woman.

"I love you, Kakashi." She said, and then pulled away. A silence passed between them again, almost as if they were hormonal teenagers again. Neither one was sure what to do, but Kurenai made the first move. There was not a lot of light around, so she thought she would experiment. Slowly, she raised her hand up and slipped two fingers under Kakashi's mask.

_Will he stop me?_

She held her fingers there for a few seconds, before starting to pull it down.

_Maybe it's because there is not a lot of light around? Either that…or he really does love me._

Kakashi was more than content to let her lead, he was going to make no move to stop her. The Copy Nin had nothing to hide, this was the woman he loved, and he was not going to stop her from seeing what was hidden under the mask.

Before long, the mask had been pulled down and it was scrunched around his neck. Before the silver haired nin could react, Kurenai's hand was at the back of his neck. They held onto each other once again, and a few seconds later their lips had locked into a sweet but gentle kiss.

After what seemed like forever, they let each other go, and Kurenai had a genuinely happy smile on her face.

"I love you too, Kurenai." Kakashi said, and pulled his mask back up. Kurenai's smile grew, but she knew she had to get to bed, she had training in the morning.

"See you tomorrow, Kakashi."

"See you tomorrow, Kurenai." Kakashi said, and all the female jounin could see outside her door was a puff of smoke.

--

The new couple had no idea that Naruto and Hinata had been hiding and spying on the couple. They had known something was up, and as soon as they had finished their ramen, made their way to Kurenai's house. They had chosen the right location, and got there just in time. The Hyuuga and the Kyuubi container looked at each other with smiles on their faces, pleased that things were heading in the right direction.

Little did they know that they were both thinking the same as the other.

_It's our turn next…_

_--_

A/N: Wow, that was a longer chapter. Anyway, a word of warning, college is starting in a week, so the updates may not be as frequent. However, in an attempt to make up for that, I am going to try and make the chapters longer. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own Junko…don't know why I am still saying that to be honest, I may not bring her back in lol.

A/N: Thanks again guys for your awesome reviews, they are very much appreciated, and I am pleased I am doing a good job with the emotional scenes. Also, I would like to thank KingKakashi for giving me a shout out in his fic, and I highly advise you all to check out his one too. I am halfway through, and I am really enjoying it so far, so go and check his one out too! Anyway, I shall silence myself now, here is another chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy it, and please review! This will probably be a much lighter chapter.

--

Chapter 12: I Am Now Giving Up With Titles, the Thought Process Kills My Brain Cells

Hinata let a yawn escape as she made her way to the training grounds, it had been a long time since Team 8 had trained as a team. It would be good for all four of them to be together again, and refreshing. The Hyuuga knew that Kiba and Shino had both been busy with various missions, so it would be good to talk to them and see what they had been up to the past few months.

The girl's thoughts were not completely focused on training and seeing her team mates again, no, she was also thinking about a certain blonde. With all that been going on with Kurenai, Hinata had not had any time to think about Naruto, but now that her sensei had found happiness once again, the young girl's mind was occupied by the boy.

_I wish I had the confidence to talk to you. _

Her thoughts ended as soon as they had started when she heard barking up ahead. So Kiba was there already, and no doubt Shino would be too. At least she would be able to focus on training, she was determined to put the Naruto problem at the back of her mind.

As soon as she decided that it would be best to make training her priority, she was bombarded by a dog. Hinata laughed as Akamaru jumped up at her, licking her face.

"Good morning, Akamaru!" she said and stroked the dog's sleek coat fondly. She was pleased to see the dog, he brought a certain energy to Team 8, Akamaru seemed to be happy and full of energy. Hinata had missed the dog greatly.

Once Akamaru had calmed down and returned to his master's side, Hinata walked over to Kiba and gave him a hug, she had missed the dog trainer.

"How have you been, Kiba?" she asked, and let go of her friend. As she looked him over, she noticed that he was the same as he was when she saw him last. Kiba gave her a wide grin, and looked her over, she looked to be the same old Hinata.

"I've been fine, Hinata. Yourself?" he asked, but he did not get a response. They could hear happy humming coming from nearby. It even caused Shino to stop talking to his bugs and come out of the shadows.

"Someone sounds happy." He said as he wanted Kurenai, almost literally skipping, to their location. They had never seen their sensei so happy, and only Hinata had a good idea as to what was going on. She kept quiet though, not wanting to embarrass her crimson eyed sensei.

Said sensei in question now wandered over to them, eyes containing a happy glow.

"Come on then, let's get training. Kiba, Shino, show Hinata and I how you have improved, we have not seen you for quite some time!" she said happily, and went to lean against a tree. Hinata wandered over to her, and sat down next to her love struck sensei.

"So, Kurenai-sensei…details." She said quietly, so that Kiba and Shino would not hear. Kurenai let out a happy sigh and closed her eyes, running through the events of last night in her mind.

"Last night was amazing, we got everything talked out, but oh, that was not the best bit." Kurenai said with a happy sigh. Hinata was almost exploding with anticipation, she wanted to know what the kiss was like so she could tell Naruto later on. They were going to meet up for ramen later on in the day, Hinata had promised that she would grill Kurenai for details.

"Come on, Kurenai-sensei, what was the best bit?!" Kurenai changed her position and decided to lie on the grass, she had not been this happy in a long time.

"Words can't describe it, Hinata. I only hope Naruto can make you as happy as Kakashi has made me. Actually, speaking of Naruto…did you talk anything out with him last night?" she asked, and it was now Hinata's turn to be interrogated.

"We didn't get very far…we just…well…made plans to interrogate you." She said with a sheepish smile, and was pleased when Kurenai laughed. The jounin was just about to make a cheeky comment when she heard voices from the other side of the bushes. She found a hole to look through, and found Kakashi training Naruto.

_Just a few minutes of watching won't hurt!_

_--_

Kakashi was spending some time with Naruto, mainly sparring and helping the blonde boy brush up on his ninjutsu. It did not take long for the Copy Nin to feel like he was being watched, but he let it slide. Whoever was watching them did not feel like a threat, so Kakashi was more than content to keep the training session going. However, it was not long before Naruto noticed that something was up.

"Kakashi-sensei, I feel like we are being watched." He said nervously, but relaxed when Kakashi shrugged.

"It's alright, it's not a threat. Anyway, let's take a break for a while." He said as he began to walk over to the bush. The Copy Nin had a feeling he knew who it was.

--

Kiba and Shino had decided to take a break, seeing as when they last caught sight of their sensei, she was half in and half out of a bush, as was Hinata. They found it irritating at first, but then decided it would be a good idea to take a break as the sun was beginning to make the village feel like a desert. It was one of the hottest summers they had experienced for a while.

"Hey Shino, what do you think those two are looking at?" Kiba asked his friend as he lay down on the cool grass under the tree they were sitting under. Akamaru curled up by his master's feet.

"I don't know, let's leave them to it." Shino said, and lay down himself. It got hot inside his jacket, but he never liked to take it off.

With a soft sigh, Kiba closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the cold grass. He had not even brought his coat with him to the training grounds. This summer was a harsh one, and it was only going to get worse.

--

As soon as Hinata saw Kakashi coming, she swiftly got herself out of the bush. Kurenai, however, was not so lucky. One of her bandages had got caught on a branch and she was well and truly stuck. That was not a good thing, and deep down the woman knew that she would get caught, so she stopped struggling.

_Good job I can fit all the way through so I can breathe…still, all Kiba and Shino will see is my backside, and all Kakashi will get is my head._

With a sigh, she watched as Kakashi sat down in front of her, making no move to help the woman get out of the bush.

"Is there any reason your head is sticking out of a bush?" he asked, and Kurenai could feel the heat rising to her face. To say that she felt stupid would be an understatement, she was utterly embarrassed.

"No…not really…just…well…" she said, trying hard to string a sentence together, but failing miserably. Kakashi still showed no signs of trying to help the stuck woman, and instead let out a small laugh.

"Admiring the view?" he asked, and Kurenai's face ended up as red as her eyes. Before she could make a retort, a loud voice distracted the pair.

"Hey, Hinata!"

It seemed that Naruto had discovered Hinata, and the young girl had no choice but to go over now she had been spotted. Kakashi and Kurenai looked on, wondering what would happen between the pair. The two jounin knew that their students had strong feelings for each other, and it was almost cute that they did not have the courage to get them out in the open. One day they would be able to tell each other how they felt, Kurenai was sure of it, and it did not take her long to drift off into her thoughts.

_You can do it, both of you. Kakashi and I finally realised how much we care for each other, even if we are not quite there yet. I really want to help you both, I am sure Kakashi does too, but this is something you must both do on your own. We can be here to offer advice, but you need to tell each other how you feel. Be thankful that it is not a tragedy that has brought you together, like me and Kakashi. Be thankful that you are both in good health and sound of mind, and use it to have a long and beautiful relationship. Do not make the mistakes I did, Hinata…do not push Naruto away._

_--_

She couldn't turn back now, the Hyuuga knew that. Naruto had already spotted her, now all she could do was hope that she didn't make a fool of herself. Hinata's fear was that Naruto would make her end up as her old, stuttering self. She hated what she used to be, and was pleased she had found some confidence.

_Keep calm, Hinata. You can do this, you are a different person now! Just remain calm, and don't worry about a thing._

"Hi Naruto, how is your training going?" she asked, and immediately felt proud of herself. Naruto hopped over the low bush so that he could talk to Hinata properly.

"Great thanks, how is your's going?" he asked, and the Hyuuga was beginning to feel more confident with each passing second.

"Not too bad, thank you Naruto. It's hot today…isn't it?" she said, and the blonde nodded, taking off his Konoha headband and wiping away the sweat.

"Sure is, Hinata. I'm really feeling the effects of training today though. Say, do you want to go and get some ramen and a drink with me? It's too hot to train." Naruto said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head. Nobody could tell that he was nervous, but it was taking all the confidence in his body for him to be able to talk to Hinata the way he was. The blonde was good at hiding it though, for which the man himself was thankful.

Hinata felt a mild blush make it's way onto her cheeks, but she did not worry, she was not blushing as heavily as she used to whenever Naruto even walked past her.

"I'd love to, is that ok sen—yeah…" the pearl eyed princess said, her sentence faltering. She had forgotten Kurenai was stuck.

"Yes, that's fine, you two go on ahead and have fun. That's alright with you, isn't it Kakashi?" Hinata heard, and Kakashi nodded. He was visible above the hedge, so words were not needed.

"Yes, that's fine. It's too hot to train now, go and have fun together." He said, and watched as the pair began to blush. The students said goodbye to their teachers and walked off to Ichiraku's.

--

Kurenai felt quite vulnerable from the position she was stuck in inside the bush. She was growing to be annoyed, and Kakashi was just sitting there, watching.

"You know Kakashi, you could help me out." She suggested hopefully, but all the Copy Nin did was stretch, before placing his eye back on the woman.

"I might go over the other side, I bet the view is fantastic." He said, and watched Kurenai scowled, even though a blush was making it's way onto her face. She appreciated the compliment, but she really wanted to get out of the bush.

"Look, you can observe my backside whenever you want, but please get me out of here!" she shouted, getting more and more frustrated. The twigs were irritating her skin, it was a horrible feeling, and she wanted to be rid of it. Kakashi held up his hands in surrender, seeing that the Genjutsu expert was getting irritated, crawled over to her and stuck his hands in the bush. In a matter of seconds, Kurenai managed to get out, and she hopped over the bush.

"Thank you, now was that so hard?" she said, hands on hips, looking less than impressed.

"No, I just enjoyed watching you squirm." He said, and winced as a fist collided with his arm.

"Bastard, but I can't stay mad at you. What are you doing later?" Kurenai asked, and watched as Kakashi went into thought. In a matter of seconds, his full attention was on her again.

"I have to meet with the Hokage again. I was made an offer some time ago, and she wants to know if I am going to take her up on it. After that I am free though." He said, and Kurenai immediately became curious.

"An offer? Can you tell me what it is?" she asked, an impish grin on her face.

"It's not anything important, she just wants to know if I would consider going back to ANBU." He said, and Kurenai looked surprised.

"Are you going to? Do you even want to?" she asked, and Kakashi raised a hand, letting her know he wanted no more questions.

"I don't know, but as for wanting to go back? It's hard to say, sometime I do and sometimes I don't. You risk your life more, as the missions are so much more dangerous, but that's not what puts me off. Anyway, I must go, if you want to go out later, come by my apartment and we can find something to do." He said, and teleported away before the crimson eyed woman could say anything.

--

Kurenai let out a sigh as she wandered around the town. She was lost in her thoughts, not sure what to do with herself, or how to take the new knowledge that she had gained.

_Will you really go back to ANBU? What kind of things will you have to do? Will you be sent after Akatsuki? Will you be sent after Orochimaru? You are too valuable a ninja to lose, why are you being asked if you want to go back when the risk to your life is so much higher? Maybe I am just being selfish, maybe I just want you in Konoha, back safe with me. I am being selfish, I cannot get in the way of your life, that is not my right. Just…don't die out there, I want you to always come home to me, ready to hold me, ready to kiss me, ready to…_

Kurenai's thoughts got cut short as she bumped into another citizen of the village. The pink hair she caught a glimpse of told the jounin it was Sakura.

"I am so sorry, Sakura, are you ok?" she asked the girl, helping her back onto her feet. Tsunade's student dusted herself down and smiled at Kurenai.

"Don't worry about it, Kurenai-sensei. Are you ok? You look kind of down." Sakura said, and the jounin let out a small sigh.

"It's nothing, Sakura. I was just talking to Kakashi, that's all. Did you know the Hokage wants him to go back to ANBU?" she asked, and saw Sakura's face become slightly less cheery than it had been two seconds ago.

"Yeah, I heard. No other choice though. An ANBU squad was sent out to investigate Orochimaru, and they never returned, so the ranks are thin. Shizune told me about it, in a way, I don't think Kakashi-sensei has a choice. Why are you so worried though, Kurenai-sensei? I never thought you and Kakashi-sensei were that close." Sakura said, and it was the turn of Kurenai's face to fall.

"Well…we've grown closer…but anyway, shall we go and get ice cream, my treat?" she said, and Sakura nodded eagerly.

"Thanks, Kurenai-sensei!" she said, and walked off with the woman.

--

Naruto and Hinata were sitting in Ichiraku's, enjoying a drink while their ramen was being prepared. Neither of them had said much, not wanting to break the comfortable silence. Each was lost in their own thoughts.

Naruto was staring into his tea, wondering what he was going to say. He did not want to make Hinata uncomfortable, he knew that deep down she was the shy girl she always had been, and always would be.

_I really want to be able to tell you how I feel. Kakashi-sensei was right, what right do I have advise him on his love life when I don't even know what to do with my own? I want to be able to __speak to you about this, Hinata, but I do not want to scare you away. I know how sensitive you are, and I don't want to embarrass you. No, I need to do this, I hope you feel the same about me, I hope I have read the signs you have sent me correctly. _

"You know, Hinata. I really like spending time with you." Naruto said to the girl next to him, who turned her head in shock. Had Naruto…just complimented her? She sat in stunned silence for a while, before finally being able to muster up a coherent reply.

"I-I like spending time with you too, Naruto. All these years I have been hoping you would say those words. I have not had the courage to tell you how I feel, for fear of rejection. I-I love you, Naruto." She said, and the Hyuuga was surprised that she had the courage to tell him.

It was Naruto's turn to be stunned, he did not know Hinata had felt like that all these years. He was more stupid than he originally thought, how could he not have picked up on the signs earlier?

"I love you too, Hinata. Here, the ramen and drinks can be on me, consider this our first date!" he said excitedly, and all Hinata could do was blush and nod.

_I am glad our feelings are out in the open, Naruto. _

The ramen had arrived, and she began to eat. Hinata stopped after a while, a thought had struck her.

"Naruto, I wonder how Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei are getting on." She said, getting back to her ramen. Naruto stopped eating to answer her.

"I am sure they are doing all right, but I need to meet Kakashi-sensei later, I need to talk to him about what he is discussing with the Hokage this afternoon. It concerns my training, you see." He said, and continued eating.

Hinata picked up from his facial expressions that Naruto did not want to discuss it further, so she continued eating her own ramen.

_I hope everything is ok._

_--_

A/N: Well, will everything be ok? I have no idea lol. Next chapter will be Kakashi and Tsunade talking, plus some Asuma as well. He is going to find out what is going on, but I am not going to tell you too much lol. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I own Junko, who is making an appearance in this chapter.

A/N: The last chapter was more of a filler, and I apologise for that, but I wanted to develop the relationships a bit more. Service is resumed as normal, and the plot moves once again. I am going to try and make the chapters longer, I truly am, as now the curse known as 'college' has made itself known, and updates may not be as frequent, for which I apologise.

Also, a note to KingKakashi…I will read the rest of your fic soon lol XD

--

Chapter 13

The meeting would not go as planned, Kakashi could feel it in his gut. He had a feeling he would have no choice but to go back to ANBU, he knew what had happened, and now he had no option but to go where he was told. The man mentally smacked himself, feeling like he was jumping to too many conclusions.

_I don't want to go back there, I am content with being a jounin sensei. Unfortunately, the Hokage's orders are final. Please let me have an option, I don't want to leave Kurenai for too long. STOP! What am I thinking? I am a shinobi, and I must act like one, I cannot let my personal life come first. If I have to go back to ANBU, then so be it._

By the time that Kakashi had gotten rid of his conflicting thoughts, the silver haired nin was standing outside the Hokage's door. After taking a deep breath, and letting the air out in a sigh, Kakashi knocked on the wood, and in seconds he was summoned into the office and was looking into the Hokage's brown eyes.

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" he said respectfully and watched as Tsunade put down the document she was reading to look at the jounin.

"Yes. Now, before we go onto anything else, I trust you thought over what I told you last time?" she asked, and Kakashi nodded, remembering all too well what the Hokage had said to him.

_FLASHBACK_

_Kakashi found himself standing in front of Tsunade, who lo__oked like she had one hell of a headache. The woman looked like she had not slept at all, and documents were everywhere._

"_**Oh, Kakashi, thanks for coming. Look, I am busy, so I will cut to the chase. How would you feel about going back to ANBU?" **__the Hokage asked, and even though the mask covered most of Kakashi's face, Tsunade could tell that the question had surprised the man. She knew that she would be surprised if she was in his shoes._

"_**With all due respect, Hokage-sama, I would have to think it over. I have not thought about ANBU for some time, and I am content at my current rank. Do I have a choice in this?" **_

_Kakashi asked, and Tsunade let out an irritated sigh, that had not been the answer she was looking for._

"_**If I am honest Kakashi, I want you to go back. However, there is no emergency that requires you to do so. However, as I have a lot of work to do, I will give you some time to decide on what you want to do. I will call for you when I want an answer. You may go." **__Tsunade said, and Kakashi quickly left the office._

_END FLASHBACK_

Kakashi came back to reality just as Tsunade was getting ready to speak again. A sense of foreboding came over the man, did he even have a choice anymore?

"Well, I am sorry to say, but you no longer have a choice. You are going back to ANBU." She said, and was not surprised to feel the atmosphere in the room drop.

"Why? Can you not get the numbers up some other way?" he asked, eye focused completely on Tsunade. It unnerved many others when such an intense stare focused on them, but not the Hokage.

"There is nothing I can do, Kakashi. Orochimaru did a number on them, we lost an entire team! I am not promoting newbies, not at a time like this. We need experienced shinobi in there, and you happen to be one of them. You have no choice, believe me, I want to give you one, but you have to go back there, whether you like it or not. You have a week before you start ANBU duties. You may go." The blonde said, making it clear that the subject was not open for discussion. Kakashi just let out a sigh and teleported out of the office. He had a lot of things to sort out, one of the things was to find someone else to train Naruto. In ANBU, the man would not have a lot of spare time.

_As soon as I have sorted Naruto's training, I must speak to Kurenai._

_--_

Naruto was walking around the various shops in the village, helping Hinata with her shopping. They were going to go out later in the evening, but being hyper and excited, Naruto wanted to help Hinata get everything done as soon as possible so that she could get ready sooner, which meant they could go out earlier and spend more time together. The blonde shinobi was currently weighed down by bags full of various items, from food, to clothes, to training materials, to weapons. When Naruto had said he would help the Hyuuga heiress with her shopping, he did not anticipate her buying so much.

"Hinata, are you almost done?" he asked, now beginning to struggle with the weight of all the different bags. The bags with the weapons were the worse. Hinata laughed and turned back to her boyfriend. They had officially decided to become a couple, and they were both so much happier now that they had got their feelings out in the open.

"We can take a break if you like Naruto, I am thirsty anyway." She said, and the blonde had never been so relieved to hear those words.

As soon as he found a chair to sit down in, he saw Kakashi walking up the path towards them. Immediately he called out, Naruto wanted to know when they could start training again.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out, and was pleased to see the jounin walk over.

"Hi Naruto…I need to talk to you about your training." He said, looking awkward, but as soon as Naruto heard the word 'training', he ignored the rest of the sentence.

"When can we start again?" Naruto asked eagerly, and Kakashi let out a sigh. He knew it would not be easy.

"Naruto, I am afraid that I will not be able to train you as much as I would like to. It would be better for you to find someone else who can train with you, as I am no longer a jounin as of next week. I have been called up to ANBU, and I have no choice but to accept the advance in rank." Kakashi said, and Naruto's face immediately took on an expression of hurt. The Kyuubi container had been looking forward to training more with Kakashi, and now those hopes had been shot down.

"Everyone has a choice, you can say no, right, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, and watched as Kakashi sighed again.

"I want to say no, I really do, Naruto, but the Hokage will not allow it. Konoha is in a very vulnerable situation right now, hence why I have no choice in the matter. I hear that Jiraiya will be passing through again soon, maybe you can ask him to train with you? I am sure I can still train you occasionally, but the workload is much heavier in ANBU, as the missions are longer." He explained, and opted to leave out the 'and more dangerous' part of the explanation.

It was Naruto's turn to sigh, he knew he had no choice but to find someone else to train with, and it hurt.

"Can you really not say no, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, and the jounin gave a sad nod, to which Naruto sighed.

"Well, I will find someone else to train with, but Kakashi-sensei…when you have a moment, will you train with me?" he asked, blue eyes filled with hope. Kakashi laughed and placed a gloved hand on Naruto's mop of blonde hair.

"Sure thing, Naruto. Anyway I have to go, got a new uniform to collect. I'll see you around." He said, and before Naruto could say anything more, his former sensei was gone.

_Even though you will now be stuck in ANBU, you will always be my sensei, even if we can't train together as much as we used to._

--

Asuma looked over at the slop that they called food, given to him three times a day, and scowled. He did not want to be in there, he was angrier than ever, and his mental state was becoming more and more unstable as the weeks passed. He had no idea what was going on in the outside world anymore, and he was sick of it. It cut him up inside, he wanted to be soaking up the rays, he wanted to be out there, training with his old team. Those days were gone now, and they would never return. Even if Tsunade did decide to be merciful and let him out, then he would never be a shinobi again, and would be lucky if the citizens did not run him out of town. The shamed jounin could guarantee that he would not have any friends left, if he got out, and that was a big if, he would have no choice but to leave.

_Why did this happen to me? What did I do? I know I deserve to be in here, but surely Tsunade could just let me out. I have learnt my lesson and I feel that I can get out of here now. Well, I can bet they do not feel that way, and would be more than content to see me rot. I did not mean to do the things I did…they just happened! Oh, who am I kidding? Nobody will listen to me. I need to get out of here!_

Asuma began to pace in his cell frantically, if he was able to use his chakra, and if there happened to be some sent to his feet, then a path would gradually be carved in the stone from where he was pacing so frantically. However, a familiar sight stopped his pacing, and sent the man running over to the bars.

"Junko! What are you doing here?" he asked, pleased to see a familiar face. Nobody had been to see him, not even his former team, which Asuma was not surprised about.

_Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino must be so ashamed of me, they must be ashamed to say that they were once taught by me. I have not only let myself down, but my village. Tsunade is probably leaving me here to rot as this is a worse punishment than death. I want to die, I know what will be waiting for me when I get out, if I get out. She is ruthless, and I can't even commit suicide in this place. Can things get any worse?_

The man was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the look of scorn coming his way, which soon turned into a smirk.

"Well, well, if it isn't Asuma! I see your girlfriend, or should I say ex-girlfriend, made the right choice!" she said, a small laugh breaking out. Asuma's eyes saddened, things could get worse, the one woman who had started his chain of mistakes.

"Junko, if you are here to gloat then you might as well go. What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked, tone flat and lifeless. He had no energy, it had been sapped from him after all the weeks he had spent in the dank, dark place. Junko flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked through the bars at the pathetic man.

"I actually came to bring some food to my brother, who is a guard here, but now I have stumbled across you, I have some things to tell you, but no, it won't interest you." She said, and then began to move away. She wanted to make the man suffer for all of the pain he had put her through. Asuma grasped the bars tightly, knuckles going white.

"It's about Kurenai, isn't it? Tell me, please!" the man begged, and even through the darkness of the shadows he could see the young woman smirk.

"Your Kurenai is starting to move on, she has a new man in her life, quite a nice one by the sounds of it. What was his name? Hmm, you know, it escapes me. Anyway, they shared a nice first kiss a while ago. News travels fast in Konoha…name escapes me…" she said, trailing off, knowing how much it would be cutting Asuma's heart. The man was becoming desperate, almost trying to bend the bars with his bare hands, but the efforts proved fruitless.

"Who is it?! I know you know, Junko! It's Hatake, isn't it?! TELL ME!" he shouted, pleading, which made Junko let out a loud laugh.

"That's it! I heard through the grapevine he's quite the cutie too! Your darling Kurenai loves him to pieces, and there's nothing you can do about it! Have fun rotting here Asuma, I'll let you know when the wedding will be!" she cackled at him, and walked off, leaving the man to collapse against the bars.

_I'll get you for this, Hatake, and I will get you, Yuuhi, you won't get away with this…_

_--_

_No matter how fast she ran, she could not get away. She could hear his voice all around, taunting her, telling her how weak she was. She was worthless, nothing but trash, and nothing was going to change that. She could see his face everywhere, the face of her ex, of the one who abused her, telling her how she would not be able to accomplish anything, she was pathetic. Others only befriended her because they felt sorry for her, told her that Kakashi did not love her, that he only felt sorry for her. No matter where she ran to, the voice always found her. She could not escape, she was trapped in this world, she would end up insane. There was no escape, all she could do was fall to the ground and cry._

Kurenai awoke with a scream, and even though she could see that she was in her own room, that did nothing to get rid of the fear welling up inside her. She was soaked in sweat, even though it was a mild morning and the window was open, and knew that what she needed was a good shower.

_I think I'll go and see Kakashi after a shower._

However, as soon as she was about to go into the bathroom, the female jounin heard a knock at the door.

"Who the hell could that be?" she said to herself, but as soon as she opened the door, a wide smile crossed her face.

"Kakashi! Come on in!" she said happily, but the smile soon faded when she saw what the man was wearing. Kakashi was decked out in the standard ANBU uniform, and a decorated wolf mask lay at the side of his head. The only familiar items were the mask and the Konoha headband, hiding the Sharingan.

"No…Kakashi…you didn't?! Why did you go back?!" she shouted, and before she could make too much of a scene, Kakashi had wrapped his arms around her and taken her into the house.

"Kurenai…let me explain first…" he said, but there was no chance to, as the crimson eyed woman had collapsed against his chest, sobbing her eyes out.

"Why? You can't…do you not like…being a sensei?" she sobbed, and after a few more minutes, she looked up at the man who had been with her through past traumatic weeks. She was nowhere near fully healed, she was still having nightmares, and now she would be left alone. Her rock would leave her, and she would be alone once again.

"Kurenai, listen to me…I did not want to go back! I have not been given a choice in this matter, due to certain circumstances, I have no choice!" he told her, and the tears finally stopped.

"Why have you got to? Why you?! Never mind…forget it…I should have known…" she said, her emotions beginning to run away with her. She was losing control, and the real Kurenai was shrinking further back into the husk that was currently representing her.

"Kurenai, what are you talking about?" Kakashi said, moving to touch her shoulder, but she slapped it away.

"You don't love me, you just feel sorry for me! I think you should go." She said, and tried to push the man away, but he wouldn't budge.

"Stop this! Those three words are not words that I am able to throw around carelessly, which is part of the reason why it took me so long to tell you I love you in the first place. Listen to me, I will not be away as much as you think I will be. Yes, the missions will be longer, yes, they will be more dangerous, but I will ALWAYS come back to you, no matter what." He told her, and watched as Kurenai raised her head, unshed tears threatening to spill.

"You…you will always come home…to me?" she choked out, lifting Kakashi's headband up so she could look into both of his eyes.

"Yes, I will. Even if it kills me in the end, I will come back to you, I promise." Kakashi said, and drew the woman into a hug. She knew that the kiss they had shared what seemed like ages ago was not just an effort to make her happy again, but that it was true.

_I guess we can be called a couple now, the other females seem to think we are anyway…_

Kurenai wasted no time in moving the mask that hid most of her boyfriend's face, and lured him into a passion-filled kiss.

However, elsewhere, somewhere far away, things were not so calm and happy.

--

To say that Orochimaru was upset would be an understatement, he was downright pissed off. The bodies of the ANBU his troops had killed did not reveal any clues whatsoever, and he was furious. Not even Kabuto could find out what secrets their bodies held, and this made the Snake Sannin all the more annoyed. He would have to move soon, but with Akatsuki on the move as well, his plans had to be thought through carefully.

"Kabuto, go and get Sasuke…we have much to discuss." He hissed, and the medic nin bowed his head and did as he was told.

Orochimaru had a lot of thinking to do, and not a lot of time to do it in.

--

A/N: Well, the plot is starting to thicken now. I hope this is worth the wait, I really do, and I am feeling bad because the updates are no longer as regular, but as I am sure you will understand, education is the most important thing. Anyway, there will be a bit of Orochimaru and Sasuke in the next chapter, and Akatsuki may come into it, but I do not want to make this go off in too many tangents, otherwise when it comes to the ending, I will have one hell of a headache. Anyway, I am sorry for the delay, but thanks for reading and please review! I will start the next chapter ASAP.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own Junko.

A/N: Hi guys, sorry for the late update, but time and college have reduced the amount of writing I can do. Anyway, there are a couple of things I want to clear up. Number one is, I do understand that the Hinata and Naruto thing was done quickly, but that is as the sub-relationships are not as important as the main one, which is what I want to spend most of the time on. The other ones are important, and the next one I develop will be longer. HOWEVER, I will tell you that there will be flashbacks in this, possibly in this chapter, and all will be revealed in those, so the gaps will be filled in. There are also going to be sub-missions in this, so pairings will be able to develop there too.

Second is that another reviewer has mentioned lemons. I am not sure I want to do one of these, but I am considering it. However, as you will know, this does not mean there will be a lemon. I will give it more thought, but I can tell you that it will be unlikely that a lemon features, though there is always a chance.

Now that my novel of a note is over, I hope that you enjoy the chapter! Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated.

--

Chapter 14:

Asuma had been brewing this plan for many weeks now. He was grateful to Junko for telling him everything that was going on, and he was especially grateful to her for telling him that Kurenai and Kakashi were now a couple. This angered him greatly, he wanted to redeem himself, and the ex-jounin felt that he would no longer have a chance. However, there was one part of the visit he was not pleased with, and that was that Junko seemed happy that he was behind bars. The rational side of him realised that he deserved to be in prison, while the other, side of him, his more sinister side, felt that he did not deserve to be locked away from the world.

Sarutobi watched as a guard walked by, and he smiled to himself. Soon he would be out of there, and he could begin planning his revenge.

--

Hinata lay on her bed, thinking of what the day was going to present her with. She had a meeting with Tsunade later in the day, to discuss a new mission. The Hyuuga was looking forward to it, as she had not been out of the village for a while. Things had been reasonably quiet, and her skills had not been needed.

As she lay there in silence, watching the sun peek into the room through the gap in her curtains, she began to think about how she and Naruto officially became a couple. The memory always made her smile.

_FLASHBACK_

_It had taken them both a long time to admit their feelings to each other, but they both felt so much better now that they were out in the open. However, it was all well and good voicing how they felt, but now they needed to act upon those feelings. They both wanted more, they wanted to become a couple. They felt that they could now confide in each other, share things with each other that they wouldn't normally have done a few years ago._

_The silence was a comfortable one, and it took a long time for it to break, but it was finally Naruto who did so._

"**I remember how I was so stupid all those years ago, not realising that you like me the way you do."**_ He said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Naruto could not believe that he had been so stupid, but those days were in the past now, and here he was, talking to the girl he loved, and safe in the knowledge that she loved him too._

_Hinata let out a small laugh and looked into Naruto's calm eyes. She felt so much more confident now that she knew Naruto loved her too, the Hyuuga did not know what she would have done if the blonde did not return the feelings, probably curl up in a corner and die of embarrassment._

"**I was so shy back then, I can't believe I used to be like that. Those days are over now though, I am a new person now."**_ She said with a warm smile, but knew that the shyness would make itself known again at various points in her life. The shy little girl was still there, but she was now under control, and Hinata had learnt not to become the shade of a tomato and faint whenever the Kyuubi container spoke to her._

_Naruto smiled and watched as a strand of Hinata's hair fell out of place, and he unconsciously placed it back behind the girl's ear. Hinata could not help the blush that rose on her face, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been when she was younger. Now it was just a light tint on her face, a modest blush._

_The small moment of silence was again broken by Naruto. He had wanted to say the words he was about to speak all evening, but had not found the courage to do so._

"**You know, Hinata. We both love each other, so why not make it official? Shall we make it known that we are a couple?"** _the blonde asked, and this time the blush did deepen on the girl's face. She could not help it, Hinata had not expected Naruto to speak those words, and it almost seemed like he had said them out of the blue. All she could do was nod, Hinata did not want to speak as she could feel a stutter coming on, and those days of nervousness were in the past, where they belonged. All she could do was nod, but that was all that Naruto needed to see to confirm that she wanted to be with him._

_They both fell into a comfortable silence, no more words were needed._

_END FLASHBACK_

Hinata was snapped out of her daydream by a knock on her door.

"Come on Hinata, we'll be late!" came a voice from the other side, and the Hyuuga instantly recognised it as the voice of Ino. The blonde would be accompanying Hinata because she had also been summoned, so she came to the conclusion that Ino would be helping her.

"Coming, Ino!" she said and ran out of the bedroom door and straight past her friend. She hastily pulled on her shoes and ran out of the door, with Ino in hot pursuit. No words were spoken between them, they were too busy worrying about being late.

Tsunade could be a hard person to deal with, and it was best to turn up at her office on time, or risk feeling her wrath.

--

Tsunade was sharing a drink with her old friend Jiraiya as she waited for Ino and Hinata to arrive. She was pleased that her fellow Sannin was back in town, as what nobody else knew or suspected, the Hokage had strong feelings for the man. Even he did not know how she felt. The blonde had been hoping to change that, but had not had the courage to do so. She had loved him ever since they had been on the same team, but she did not act like Sakura did towards Sasuke, no, Tsunade preferred to remain quiet. It was not shyness that kept her quiet, it was the fear of rejection.

_You like to peek too much, you would never want to settle down. I may not seem like I want to be with anyone, but that is just a mask I put on. I want to settle down, spend the rest of my life with just one man. I want that man to be you, Jiraiya, but I fear you will reject me. The way you teased me in my childhood, while we were on the same team, I tried to tell myself that you did it out of fondness for me, but no, I must be wrong. You like to gather research for your perverted novels, I am not so sure that I would be able to handle you doing that. In a relationship, only the woman that you love should matter, you should not go around looking at others. I hate the way you peek on the women while they are in the bath house, but maybe I am jealous of them. Even if, by some stroke of luck, we did manage to have a good relationship together, how long would it last?_

_The research would continue, I just know it would. I would not be able to stop you doing the one thing you love, gathering research. I would not be able to cope with that, so should I even speak to you about it? Maybe I am just fooling myself into thinking that you may want to be with me. _

"Tsunade, are you ok?"

The voice of the man sitting opposite her snapped the woman out of her thoughts. Putting a smile on her face, fake as it was, she poured herself another cup of sake.

"Nothing Jiraiya, just slipped off into a daydream." She said, hoping that the man would believe her lie, she doubted he would though. Sure, the Toad Sannin could act like a fool, but he could be serious and intelligent when the mood took him.

"You can't fool me that easily, what's on your mind? Is it about Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, knowing how fond of the boy the Hokage was. Tsunade let out an irritated sigh and sent a stony glare towards the man in her company.

"I said nothing." She snapped, and Jiraiya stood up, letting out an irritated sigh.

"Fine, I'll leave you to mope. I'll be back with my next report in two months." He said and walked out of the office before Tsunade could say another word.

Biting back a scream, Tsunade slammed her head on her desk, making it groan under the force.

_Why do I always do this? Why do I always push him away? WHY DO I NEVER TELL HIM HOW I FEEL?! I guess I shouldn't complain, it is my own damn insecurities that stop me from telling you all that I want to. Maybe I should just try and get over it, I have managed for this long…a few more years won't kill me._

_--_

Ino had caught up with Hinata and now the pair stood outside the office. Looking up at the clock on a nearby wall, Hinata noticed that they were right on time. Letting out a small sigh of relief, the young woman knocked on the door, and in seconds she found herself standing opposite the blonde Hokage.

"You wanted to speak to us, Hokage-sama?" she said, and Tsunade looked up from what she was doing. The paperwork was mounting up again, and Shizune was topping up the piles every hour, much to the blonde's irritation. She was sick to death of paperwork, paperwork was the last thing that she wanted to do when she was having a bad day.

"Yes. I need you to do a little recon for me. Jiraiya has been back with a report on the Akatsuki. They recently struck a small village not too far from here, and it is now nothing more than ruins. I need you both to go there, gather as much information as you can from witnesses, and come back with a full report. This is important, as if Akatsuki are this close, then there is a high risk that they could come here." She said, and Ino and Hinata nodded in unison.

They both knew that it was important for the village to keep tabs on Akatsuki. It was no secret that they wanted Naruto, and Akatsuki were a group who would not let anyone stand in their way. The casualties and fatalities would be horrendous.

Just as Tsunade was about to officially give them the mission, Ino noticed a huge cloud of smoke rising from an area of the village.

"Tsunade-sama, there's a suspicious amount of smoke over there, it does not look like something from a bonfire or a mere house fire." Ino said, and Tsunade turned sharply to look out of the window.

"Damn it. First things first, I want you two to head over to the scene. I am sure there are already other shinobi there, and I want to know what is going on as soon as possible. Dismissed." She said and the girls nodded before teleporting out of the office in a puff of smoke.

_Surely it is not Akatsuki already? Jiraiya would have given me a good warning in his most recent report. What the hell can it be?_

_--_

Smoke was everywhere, and flames were rising into the sky now. The fire had worsened, and burnt corpses lay around the area that used to be the prison. A lone figure stood there, cigarette in mouth, watching as the guards scrambled around, trying to get out of the fire. He did not care that they were burning around him, that people who used to be his comrades were now writhing on the floor in pain, burning to death. All he did was smile, and throw the smoked cigarette into the flames.

_You should have known this would happen, you should have known that you could not keep me locked up for long. I trusted her, I trusted her to come and bail me out, to say how sorry she is, to say that she does not love Hatake but she loves me. You have betrayed me, you have both betrayed me, hell, you have all betrayed me! What would my father say if he saw you treating me this way, locking me up like an animal? I do not think he would be very happy, but then again, you all don't care what I think anyway. Well, you are going to wish you had thought about your actions more carefully, people of Konoha._

_I will make you regret looking at me in the manner that you all did as I was escorted off to prison, shamed and broken. I am innocent in all this, I was set up. It was that lying little mare that made sure that I was placed behind bars. I was left to wallow behind bars while SHE went off and immediately found another man. She never loved me, I bet this is just part of a sick and twisted game she thought up. She always wanted Kakashi, but she did not want to get rid of me and immediately move onto him. Oh no, that would give her a bad reputation, and she would not want that. People think so highly of her, she could not afford to tarnish that reputation that she has. No, she did this to me, just to get off with Kakashi. Enjoy it while it lasts, Kurenai, because it won't last forever._

_Tsunade, you will be my Hokage no longer. Maybe I should try and kill you now, but no, there is no fun in that! I have caused enough death for today anyway._

_Maybe they were right to lock me up though, maybe I am dangerous. OK, so I battered Kurenai up a bit, but she asked for it. She pushed me too far, and she should have just shut up and dealt with the consequences. No, that was too easy, she had to get back at me somehow! _

_I have something special in store for you, Kakashi…and you Kurenai. You will both die by my hand, I will not rest until you lie in the inferno that is Hell, tortured for all eternity. _

_It pains me that I cannot do this to you yet, but I need to prepare. For that, I am going to leave this village. Be happy that I have gone for as long as you can, cherish the time that I am away, feel safe in your mind that I have left. I will be back though, and you will pay._

_You will pay dearly._

Asuma came out of his conflicting thoughts and watched as the flames rose higher as they swallowed the building up. The screams were subsiding now, but he could already feel the chakra of approaching shinobi. He had to get out of there, and fast. Asuma threw his Konoha headband down, he would have no use for it, and began to think of a place to escape to.

Finding a nearby tree that was yet to feel the wrath of the flames, he began to jump along the branches, he then moved onto the rooftops, and it was not long until he was making his way away from the village he had grown up in, and heading towards a new destination. This was an act of desperation, and though deep down he hated himself for abandoning his village, the man felt he had no choice.

--

Kurenai was one of the shinobi who felt they should go to the scene of the fire. By the time she got there, she saw many jounin, chuunin, genin, and civilians standing around what used to be the prison. Now all that stood was a pile of ash and the occasional bit of stone. It had been a fierce fire, but what was obvious was that it was deliberate.

_Who could have done this?_

As Kurenai looked over the scene, trying not to spend too long looking at the charred flesh of what used to be people, a glint of metal caught her eye. Walking over to it, she bent down to pick it up. A Konoha headband.

_NO! Surely he didn't do this?!_

By now Ino and Hinata had arrived, and the girls immediately went over to the familiar face.

"Kurenai-sensei, are you ok?" Hinata asked, growing concerned that all her sensei was doing was staring at the headband in her hands.

"Go to the Hokage, immediately, and take this with you!" Kurenai ordered, shoving the headband into Ino's hands.

Immediately the woman set off, on her way to the only place she felt safe.

--

"WHAT?!"

Another desk was reduced to nothing but splinters, and Shizune let out a sigh. As much as she loved Tsunade, she was getting fed up with all the broken desks, as it was her who had to get the new ones into the office, and that was no easy task.

Hinata and Ino looked nervous as Tsunade's eyes filled with fury, both of them too scared to say anything in case the Hokage snapped.

"Kurenai-sensei seems to believe that it was Asuma that caused the fire. It makes sense, seeing as he was not at the scene when we got there. Apparently all that was left as evidence that he was there was the headband. I do not understand something though, Hokage-sama. I thought Asuma had been stripped of his rank?" Ino said. She refused to acknowledge the former jounin as her sensei, he had disgusted her so much with his actions.

"Some of the guards are shinobi, albeit low ranked ones. I sometimes post genin there, to get them a bit of experience, if you will. They need to get used to patrols." Tsunade said, rubbing her forehead and sitting down in her chair behind the splintered mess that was her desk.

"What should we do, Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked, and Tsunade focused her attention on the girls in front of her once more.

"Hinata, go and get Yamato. Ino, go and get Kakashi. They can go and see if Asuma is anywhere nearby. Seeing as we do not know where he may have gone, or when he left, there is no telling how far away from the village he is. Tell your respective ANBU member that I do not want him straying too far from the village, as an ambush may be likely. Asuma would be stupid to attack, but every possibility needs to be considered. Dismissed!" she shouted, and watched as Ino and Hinata left her office for the second time that day.

--

It did not take the jounin long to get to Kakashi's house, and she was glad she got there when she did, as he was about to leave.

"Thank goodness I've found you, Asuma has escaped!" she screamed, ambushing Kakashi with a hug. The woman was terrified, she honestly thought that Asuma would be locked away for good, and that she could finally live her life in peace. Those dreams had now been shattered, the former jounin was on the run, and his destination was a complete mystery.

Kakashi slowly escaped her grasp and held her shoulders, trying to get her to calm down.

"I know, Yamato and I have been ordered to go and see if we can locate him, or locate a trace of him. Go inside, and calm down." The Copy Nin said, but this made Kurenai even more inconsolable.

"You can't go, you'll be killed! He'll find you, I know it. Don't go, it doesn't matter if the Hokage told you to, you can stay. We'll go indoors, stay there together, and wait until he is caught. That's a good plan. Another ANBU operative can go!" she rambled, voice coming out in frantic tones. Once again, Kakashi shook her.

_You were on the mend when you knew that he was behind bars. You cannot keep living in fear, Kurenai. He has got out, and deep down, I have to confess, I was wondering when he would finally escape. I thought he would have been out more quickly. Still, you need to worry about yourself, Kurenai. This is not a mission to see if I can kill or wound him, or to drag his sorry backside back here to Konoha so that he can be tried AGAIN…just to see if I can discover where he has gone._

_Focus on mending yourself, do not worry about Asuma, because as long as I am alive, he will not touch you._

"Listen to yourself! A shinobi lives to protect the village they are from, you know that! I am not going out to fight, Yamato and I have just been asked to see if we can find any clues. I will be back this evening, I am not even going too far away from the village walls. Go inside and wait until I get back." He said, leaning down to look into his girlfriend's eyes, which were slowly filling with tears.

Kurenai knew that Kakashi was right, but she was terrified. She no longer felt safe, even though Kakashi was with her. The memories of what Asuma had done came flooding back, and she felt more vulnerable now than she had done when she was in the hospital.

"What if it goes wrong? What if—" she was silenced by a firm, yet gentle kiss on her lips. It was the only way that Kakashi could think of to make sure the woman stayed quiet.

"Nothing will go wrong. Now go inside, I'll be back later." He said, and before Kurenai could argue, the Copy Nin was gone in a puff of smoke.

_Come back safe…please. I can't do this alone…not if he is on the loose._

_--_

Asuma could no longer see the gates of Konoha, and for this he was glad. The village was probably already mobilised, and they were probably staking a manhunt for him. He was not afraid though, and ploughed on through the forest.

_I am free, I am no longer bound by the rules in Konoha. So what if I am a missing nin? I don't care, I am free. I can finally plot in peace, I can live my life how I want to. _

_And I know what I have to do in order to start putting my plan together._

_--_

A/N: I am really sorry for the late update, I really am. I did not intend for this to come out so late, but I have had a lot of assignment work to do. Anyway, here is the latest chapter, probably one of my longest ones yet. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, but the only way I will know if you enjoyed it or not is if you leave a review!

I have a week off now, so hopefully I should be able to at least start the next chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own Junko.

A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews you gave me, I am glad you enjoyed the chapter! I don't have much to say in this note, except that we are about halfway through the story now. I may do another filler chapter, just to get the two sub-relationships going a bit, but the main plot is definitely halfway through now, if not further. I cannot apologise enough for the long wait, but I have had little motivation recently, for everything, including college, which of course is the most important thing.

Anyway, enough of my rambling, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

-------------

Chapter 15:

Orochimaru sighed as he looked over one of his technique scrolls. Not a lot had been happening recently, and the most exciting thing to happen was a group of his shinobi managed to raid a nearby village for supplies. Things were certainly dull in his neck of the woods, and it frustrated him, but there was nothing that he could do. Sasuke's body would not be any use yet, and this fact frustrated the Snake Sannin even more.

_Why can things not happen quickly? The sooner I get Sasuke's body, the sooner I can start putting my plans in place. Everything is prepared, and now all I can do is sit around and do nothing. I hate this, but I suppose everything will work out in the end. _

_I wonder if Sasuke will get the chance to kill Itachi before I take over his body? Should I give him the satisfaction of making his dream come true before he surrenders his body to me? I don't know…I suppose I owe him that much. _

Orochimaru was snapped out of his thoughts by Sasuke entering his room. He was growing in strength, but this did not worry the Snake Sannin, it pleased him. After all, Sasuke's strength would not only benefit the boy himself, so that he had a bigger chance of killing his brother, but Orochimaru also benefited from this.

"What can I do for you, Sasuke?" he asked.

"You have a visitor."

_I am finally here, this is where my life can properly change. This is where I can begin my quest to get my revenge on the village that used to be my home. That place is no longer my home, and the fact that my father died to protect it means nothing to me. He would be outraged that they treated me the way they did. He would have seen that what Kurenai was doing was wrong, and she would have been the one in trouble. No, he died to protect that lot, and that does not matter to me. He died in vain._

When Asuma finally stopped running, he was greeted by a team of shinobi. One look on the headband told him where he was.

The Sound Village, and judging by the security, it was also the place that Orochimaru currently was.

_Perfect._

_------------_

The smirk was evident across the face of the snake ninja, Kabuto did not think he had seen his master so happy for a long time. Kabuto eyed Asuma, who was standing in the centre of the room, the medic-nin was not sure if the son of Sarutobi could be trusted. Would this be an infiltration attempt? He wasn't too sure, but all he knew was that Asuma looked a wreck. However, Kabuto didn't really feel as if anything was wrong about the situation, maybe Asuma really had come to help them? The medic-nin made sure to stay by Orochimaru's side, just in case the Konoha shinobi had something planned.

"What brings you here, Sarutobi-san?" Kabuto asked as politely as he could, and looked over at the Snake Sannin next to him. Orochimaru just watched on, content to let his assistant do the talking…for now. Asuma bowed once, and turned to address Kabuto, though he occasionally looked over at Orochimaru, not wanting to let his guard down. He did not want to end up like the Third Hokage, after all.

"I have turned my back on Konoha, they are weak-minded fools. I am ashamed that it has taken me so long to realise this, though I suppose I can partly blame the village for that. I have come here to offer my services to you." He said, looking at Orochimaru as he uttered the last sentence. The Sannin was definitely intrigued, and he leaned forward in his chair, looking at the jounin opposite him.

"I suppose we may have some use for you. Kabuto, go and prepare some quarters for the newest member of the Sound village."

--------------------

Kurenai was a nervous wreck. She couldn't help but wonder if Kakashi and Yamato would come back to Konoha themselves, or be delivered back in body bags. The very thought sent a chill down her spine, and she walked into her kitchen to make herself some tea. Kurenai had not heard anything about the situation from the Hokage, and the longer she had to wait, the more she worried. Her shinobi side told her to be patient, she knew that the mission could take a long time, but still, she couldn't help but worry. She felt weak, she felt horrible, and she felt like everything was her fault.

_Maybe if I had kept all this bottled up then Yamato and Kakashi may not have been sent on the mission they are on now. Why couldn't I have just kept quiet? Why couldn't I have just endured whatever Asuma was going to throw my way? If they die then it will be all my fault, my fault for being so weak. I was trained to deal with my emotions, yet I have gone and let them get the best of me in the worst possible way. If the worst happens, I hope everyone can find it in their hearts to forgive me._

_------------------_

Kakashi and Yamato were observing Orochimaru's base. The heightened security was enough to tell them that this was the residence the Snake Sannin was currently occupying. To help to confirm Asuma's location, the pair had used a piece of his clothing to help Pakkun track the ex-Konoha shinobi.

"So it looks like we found the right place, what should we do?"

Kakashi looked around, there was a tremendous guard force, and he didn't feel confident enough to go out there with Yamato and try and dispose of the lot. They were too severely outnumbered.

"We observe from here, monitor their movements. Maybe when they change shifts, we can find an opportunity to infiltrate the hideout."

Little did they know that they weren't the only ones doing a spot of observing.

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Orochimaru had been alone in his chambers for the past half an hour, and he was growing bored. His expression lightened however, when he saw one of his snakes slither into the room. Letting it wrap it's way around his arm, a smirk appeared on his features.

"Then we'll have to do something about that."

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A/N: Sorry this is so short, but plenty of action next chapter!! I apologise again for the long wait, and I promise you the next chapter will be longer. Please review and thanks for reading!


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